Biomass burning influence on high-latitude tropospheric ozone and reactive nitrogen in summer 2008: a multi-model analysis based on POLMIP simulations

• Published in: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
• Main Authors: Arnold, Steve R., Emmons, Louisa K., Monks, S. A., Law, Kathy S., Ridley, D. A., Turquety, Solène, Tilmes, S., Thomas, Jennie L., Bouarar, Idir, Flemming, J., Huijnen, V., Mao, J., Duncan, B. N., Steenrod, S., Yoshida, Y., Langner, J., Long, Y.
• Other Authors: Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science Leeds (ICAS), School of Earth and Environment Leeds (SEE), University of Leeds-University of Leeds, Atmospheric Chemistry Division Boulder, National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder (NCAR), TROPO - LATMOS, Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Cambridge (CEE), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL), Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Laboratory (ACOML), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), Princeton University, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2015
• Subjects: [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-AO-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics [physics.ao-ph]; Arctic
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01120503; https://hal.science/hal-01120503/document; https://hal.science/hal-01120503/file/acp-15-6047-2015.pdf; https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6047-2015

International audience We have evaluated tropospheric ozone enhancement in air dominated by biomass burning emissions at high laititudes (> 50˚ N) in July 2008, using 10 global chemical transport model simulations from the POLMIP multi-model comparison exercise. In model air masses dominated by fire emissions, Δ O3/ΔCO values ranged between 0.039 and 0.196 ppbv ppbv−1 (mean: 0.113 ppbv ppbv−1) in freshly fire-influenced air, and between 0.140 and 0.261 ppbv ppbv−1 (mean: 0.193 ppbv) in more aged fire-influenced air. These values are in broad agreement with the range of observational estimates from the literature. Model ΔPAN/ΔCO enhancement ratios show distinct groupings according to the meteorological data used to drive the models. ECMWF-forced models produce larger ΔPAN/ΔCO values (4.44–6.28 pptv ppbv−1) than GEOS5-forced models (2.02–3.02 pptv ppbv−1), which we show is likely linked to differences efficiency of vertical transport during poleward export from mid-latitude source regions. Simulations of a large plume of biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions exported from Asia towards the Arctic using a Lagrangian chemical transport model show that 4 day net ozone change in the plume is sensitive to differences in plume chemical composition and plume vertical position among the POLMIP models. In particular, Arctic ozone evolution in the plume is highly sensitive to initial concentrations of PAN, as well as oxygenated VOCs (acetone, acetaldehyde), due to their role in producing the peroxyacetyl radical PAN precursor. Vertical displacement is also important due to its effects on the stability of PAN, and subsequent effect on NOx abundance. In plumes where net ozone production is limited, we find that the lifetime of ozone in the plume is sensitive to hydrogen peroxide loading, due to the production of HO2 from peroxide photolysis, and the key role of HO2 + O3 in controlling ozone loss. Overall, our results suggest that emissions from biomass burning lead to large-scale photochemical enhancement in high ...