Daytime evolution of oxidized reactive nitrogen in western U.S. wildfire smoke plumes: in situ and satellite observations
Date
2020
Authors
Juncosa Calahorrano, Julieta Fernanda, author
Fischer, Emily V., advisor
Bond, Tami, committee member
Pierce, Jeffrey R., committee member
Ravishankara, A. R., committee member
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
The Western Wildfire Experiment for Cloud Chemistry, Aerosol Absorption, and Nitrogen (WE-CAN) deployed the NSF/NCAR C-130 aircraft in summer 2018 across the western U.S. to sample wildfire smoke during its first day of atmospheric evolution. We present a summary of a subset of oxidized nitrogen species (NOy) in plumes sampled in a pseudo-lagrangian fashion. Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and nitrous acid (HONO) are rapidly converted to more oxidized forms. Within 4 hours, ∼86% of the measured NOy (∑ NOy) is in the form of peroxy acyl nitrates (PANs) (∼37%), particulate nitrate (pNO3) (∼26%) and gas-phase organic nitrates (∼23%). The average e-folding time and distance for NOx are ∼90 minutes and ∼40 km, respectively. Nearly no enhancements in nitric acid (HNO3) were observed in plumes sampled in a pseudo-lagrangian fashion, implying HNO3-limited ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) formation, with one notable exception that we highlight as a case study. We also summarize the observed partitioning of ∑ NOy in all the smoke-impacted samples intercepted during WE-CAN. In the smoke-impacted samples intercepted below 3 km above sea level (ASL), HNO3 is the dominant form of ∑ NOy and its relative contribution increases with smoke age. Above 3 km ASL, the contributions of PANs and pNO3 to ∑ NOy increase with altitude. WE-CAN also sampled smoke from multiple fires mixed with anthropogenic emissions over the California Central Valley. We distinguish samples where anthropogenic NOx emissions appear to lead to an increase in NOx abundances by a factor of 4 and contribute to additional PAN formation. We utilize data from the Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi-NPP) satellite, which continues the thermal infrared peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) satellite record established by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) onboard the Aura satellite. CrIS provides improved spatial resolution, allowing for improved analysis opportunities. Here we present an analysis of CrIS PAN retrievals over the western US during the summer 2018 wildfire season. The analysis period coincides with WE-CAN. CrIS is capable of detecting PAN and CO enhancements from smoke plumes sampled during WE-CAN, especially those that became active before the satellite overpass or burned for several days (e.g., Carr Fire, Mendocino Complex Fire). The analysis show that ∼40 - 70% of PAN over the western U.S. can be attributed to smoke from wildfires. The contribution of smoke from wildfires to free tropospheric PAN generally increases with latitude. We calculate peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) excess mixing ratios normalized by CO (NEMRs) in fresh smoke plumes from fires and follow the evolution as these plumes are transported several hours to days downwind. This analysis shows that elevated PAN within smoke plumes can be detected several states downwind from the fire source. The combination of high CrIS spatial resolution and favorable background conditions on 13 September 2018 permits detecting chemical changes within the Pole Creek smoke plume in Utah. In this plume, CrIS PAN NEMRs increase from < 1% to 3.5% within 3 - 4 hours of physical aging. These results are within the range observed in fresh plumes sampled during WE-CAN, where PAN NEMRs increased from 1.5% to 4% within 4 hours of physical aging.
Description
Rights Access
Subject
CrIS PAN
oxidized reactive nitrogen
daytime chemical evolution
biomass burning