Emission factors of trace gases and particles from tropical savanna fires in Australia

2017 ◽  
Vol 122 (11) ◽  
pp. 6059-6074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilien Desservettaz ◽  
Clare Paton‐Walsh ◽  
David W. T. Griffith ◽  
Graham Kettlewell ◽  
Melita D. Keywood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Gases ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Tropical Savanna ◽  
Savanna Fires

scholarly journals New emission factors for Australian vegetation fires measured using open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy – Part 2: Australian tropical savanna fires

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 6311-6360 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. L. Smith ◽  
C. Paton-Walsh ◽  
C. P. Meyer ◽  
G. D. Cook ◽  
S. W. Maier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Fourier Transform ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Emission Factor ◽  
Fourier Transform Infrared ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Tropical Savanna ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Open Path ◽  
Savanna Fires

Abstract. Savanna fires contribute approximately 40–50% of total global annual biomass burning carbon emissions. Recent comparisons of emission factors from different savanna regions have highlighted the need for a regional approach to emission factor development, and better assessment of the drivers of the temporal and spatial variation in emission factors. This paper describes the results of open-path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR) spectroscopic field measurements at twenty-one fires occurring in the tropical savannas of the Northern Territory, Australia, within different vegetation assemblages and at different stages of the dry season. Spectra of infrared light passing through a long (22–70 m) open-path through ground-level smoke released from these fires were collected using an infrared lamp and a field-portable FTIR system. The IR spectra were used to retrieve the mole fractions of fourteen different gases present within the smoke, and these measurements used to calculate the emission ratios and emission factors of the various gases emitted by the burning. Only a handful of previous emission factor measures are available specifically for the tropical savannas of Australia and here we present the first reported emission factors for methanol, acetic acid, and formic acid for this biome. Given the relatively large sample size, it was possible to study the potential causes of the within-biome variation of the derived emission factors. We find that the emission factors vary substantially between different savanna vegetation assemblages; with a majority of this variation being mirrored by variations in the modified combustion efficiency (MCE) of different vegetation classes. We conclude that a significant majority of the variation in the emission factor for trace gases can be explained by MCE, irrespective of vegetation class, as illustrated by variations in the calculated methane emission factor for different vegetation classes using data subsetted by different combustion efficiencies. Therefore, the selection of emission factors for emissions modelling purposes need not necessarily require detailed fuel type information, if data on MCE (e.g. from future spaceborne total column measurements) or a correlated variable were available. From measurements at twenty-one fires, we recommend the following emission factors for Australian tropical savanna fires (in grams of gas emitted per kilogram of dry fuel burned) which are our mean measured values: 1674 g kg−1 of carbon dioxide; 87 g kg−1 of carbon monoxide; 2.1 g kg−1 of methane; 0.11 g kg−1 of acetylene; 0.49 g kg−1 of ethylene; 0.08 g kg−1 of ethane; 1.57 g kg−1 of formaldehyde; 1.06 g kg−1 of methanol; 1.54 g kg−1 of acetic acid; 0.16 g kg−1 of formic acid; 0.53 g kg−1 of hydrogen cyanide; and 0.70 g kg−1 of ammonia.

scholarly journals New emission factors for Australian vegetation fires measured using open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy – Part 2: Australian tropical savanna fires

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (20) ◽  
pp. 11335-11352 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. L. Smith ◽  
C. Paton-Walsh ◽  
C. P. Meyer ◽  
G. D. Cook ◽  
S. W. Maier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acetic Acid ◽  
Fourier Transform ◽  
Formic Acid ◽  
Emission Factor ◽  
Fourier Transform Infrared ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Tropical Savanna ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Open Path ◽  
Savanna Fires

Abstract. Savanna fires contribute approximately 40–50% of total global annual biomass burning carbon emissions. Recent comparisons of emission factors from different savanna regions have highlighted the need for a regional approach to emission factor development, and better assessment of the drivers of the temporal and spatial variation in emission factors. This paper describes the results of open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectroscopic field measurements at 21 fires occurring in the tropical savannas of the Northern~Territory, Australia, within different vegetation assemblages and at different stages of the dry season. Spectra of infrared light passing through a long (22–70 m) open-path through ground-level smoke released from these fires were collected using an infrared lamp and a field-portable FTIR system. The IR spectra were used to retrieve the mole fractions of 14 different gases present within the smoke, and these measurements used to calculate the emission ratios and emission factors of the various gases emitted by the burning. Only a handful of previous emission factor measures are available specifically for the tropical savannas of Australia and here we present the first reported emission factors for methanol, acetic acid, and formic acid for this biome. Given the relatively large sample size, it was possible to study the potential causes of the within-biome variation of the derived emission factors. We find that the emission factors vary substantially between different savanna vegetation assemblages; with a majority of this variation being mirrored by variations in the modified combustion efficiency (MCE) of different vegetation classes. We conclude that a significant majority of the variation in the emission factor for trace gases can be explained by MCE, irrespective of vegetation class, as illustrated by variations in the calculated methane emission factor for different vegetation classes using data sub-set by different combustion efficiencies. Therefore, the selection of emission factors for emissions modelling purposes need not necessarily require detailed fuel type information, if data on MCE (e.g. from future spaceborne total column measurements) or a correlated variable were available. From measurements at 21 fires, we recommend the following emission factors for Australian tropical savanna fires (in grams of gas emitted per kilogram of dry fuel burned), which are our mean measured values: 1674 ± 56 g kg−1 of carbon dioxide; 87 ± 33 g kg−1 of carbon monoxide; 2.1 ± 1.2 g kg−1 of methane; 0.11 ± 0.04 g kg−1 of acetylene; 0.49 ± 0.22 g kg−1 of ethylene; 0.08 ± 0.05 g kg−1 of ethane; 1.57 ± 0.44 g kg−1 of formaldehyde; 1.06 ± 0.87 g kg−1 of methanol; 1.54 ± 0.64 g kg−1 of acetic acid; 0.16 ± 0.07 g kg−1 of formic acid; 0.53 ± 0.31 g kg−1 of hydrogen cyanide; and 0.70 ± 0.36 g kg−1 of ammonia. In a companion paper, similar techniques are used to characterise the emissions from Australian temperate forest fires.

Seasonal variation and ecosystem dependence of emission factors for selected trace gases and PM2.5for southern African savanna fires

2003 ◽  
Vol 108 (D24) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Korontzi ◽  
D. E. Ward ◽  
R. A. Susott ◽  
R. J. Yokelson ◽  
C. O. Justice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
African Savanna ◽  
Savanna Fires

scholarly journals Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning – An updated assessment

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinrat O. Andreae
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Emission Data ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Global Activity

Abstract. Since the publication of the compilation of biomass burning emission factors by Andreae and Merlet (2001), a large number of studies has greatly expanded the amount of available data on emissions from various types of biomass burning. Using essentially the same methodology as Andreae and Merlet (2001), this paper presents an updated compilation of emission factors. The data from over 350 published studies were critically evaluated and integrated into a consistent format. Several new categories of biomass burning have been added, and the number of species for which emission data are presented has been increased from 93 to 121. Where field data are still insufficient, estimates based on appropriate extrapolation techniques are proposed. Based on these emission factors and published global activity estimates, I have derived estimates of pyrogenic emissions for important species emitted by the various types of biomass burning.

Emission factors for particles, elemental carbon, and trace gases from the Kuwait oil fires

1992 ◽  
Vol 97 (D13) ◽  
pp. 14491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista K. Laursen ◽  
Ronald J. Ferek ◽  
Peter V. Hobbs ◽  
Rei A. Rasmussen
Keyword(s):  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Emission Factors

scholarly journals Direct measurements of the seasonality of emission factors from savanna fires in northern Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 117 (D20) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. P. Meyer ◽  
G. D. Cook ◽  
F. Reisen ◽  
T. E. L. Smith ◽  
M. Tattaris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emission Factors ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Savanna Fires

Measurements of trace gases emitted by Australian savanna fires during the 1990 dry season

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale F. Hurst ◽  
David W. T. Griffith ◽  
John N. Carras ◽  
David J. Williams ◽  
Paul J. Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Trace Gases ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Savanna Fires

scholarly journals Measurements of reactive trace gases and variable O<sub>3</sub> formation rates in some South Carolina biomass burning plumes

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1141-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Akagi ◽  
R. J. Yokelson ◽  
I. R. Burling ◽  
S. Meinardi ◽  
I. Simpson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Methanol Production ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Reactive Trace Gases

Abstract. In October–November 2011 we measured trace gas emission factors from seven prescribed fires in South Carolina (SC), US, using two Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) systems and whole air sampling (WAS) into canisters followed by gas-chromatographic analysis. A total of 97 trace gas species were quantified from both airborne and ground-based sampling platforms, making this one of the most detailed field studies of fire emissions to date. The measurements include the first emission factors for a suite of monoterpenes produced by heating vegetative fuels during field fires. The first quantitative FTIR observations of limonene in smoke are reported along with an expanded suite of monoterpenes measured by WAS including α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, camphene, 4-carene, and myrcene. The known chemistry of the monoterpenes and their measured abundance of 0.4–27.9% of non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) and ~ 21% of organic aerosol (mass basis) suggests that they impacted secondary formation of ozone (O3), aerosols, and small organic trace gases such as methanol and formaldehyde in the sampled plumes in the first few hours after emission. The variability in the initial terpene emissions in the SC fire plumes was high and, in general, the speciation of the initially emitted gas-phase NMOCs was 13–195% different from that observed in a similar study in nominally similar pine forests in North Carolina ~ 20 months earlier. It is likely that differences in stand structure and environmental conditions contributed to the high variability observed within and between these studies. Similar factors may explain much of the variability in initial emissions in the literature. The ΔHCN/ΔCO emission ratio, however, was found to be fairly consistent with previous airborne fire measurements in other coniferous-dominated ecosystems, with the mean for these studies being 0.90 ± 0.06%, further confirming the value of HCN as a biomass burning tracer. The SC results also support an earlier finding that C3-C4 alkynes may be of use as biomass burning indicators on the time-scale of hours to a day. It was possible to measure the downwind chemical evolution of the plume on four of the fires and significant O3 formation (ΔO3/ΔCO from 10–90%) occurred in all of these plumes within two hours. The slowest O3 production was observed on a cloudy day with low co-emission of NOx. The fastest O3 production was observed on a sunny day when the downwind plume almost certainly incorporated significant additional NOx by passing over the Columbia, SC metropolitan area. Due to rapid plume dilution, it was only possible to acquire high-quality downwind data for two other trace gas species (formaldehyde and methanol) during two of the fires. In all four of these cases, significant increases in formaldehyde and methanol were observed in <2 h. This is likely the first direct observation of post-emission methanol production in biomass burning plumes. Post-emission production of methanol does not always happen in young biomass burning plumes, and its occurrence in this study could have involved terpene precursors to a significant extent.

scholarly journals Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning – an updated assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (13) ◽  
pp. 8523-8546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinrat O. Andreae
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Emission Data ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Key Species ◽  
Global Activity

Abstract. Since the publication of the compilation of biomass burning emission factors by Andreae and Merlet (2001), a large number of studies have greatly expanded the amount of available data on emissions from various types of biomass burning. Using essentially the same methodology as Andreae and Merlet (2001), this paper presents an updated compilation of emission factors. The data from over 370 published studies were critically evaluated and integrated into a consistent format. Several new categories of biomass burning were added, and the number of species for which emission data are presented was increased from 93 to 121. Where field data are still insufficient, estimates based on appropriate extrapolation techniques are proposed. For key species, the updated emission factors are compared with previously published values. Based on these emission factors and published global activity estimates, I have derived estimates of pyrogenic emissions for important species released by the various types of biomass burning.

scholarly journals Measurements of reactive trace gases and variable O<sub>3</sub> formation rates in some South Carolina biomass burning plumes

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 25255-25328 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Akagi ◽  
R. J. Yokelson ◽  
I. R. Burling ◽  
S. Meinardi ◽  
I. Simpson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Methanol Production ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Reactive Trace Gases

Abstract. In October–November 2011 we measured trace gas emission factors from seven prescribed fires in South Carolina (SC), US, using two Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) systems and whole air sampling (WAS) into canisters followed by gas-chromatographic analysis. A total of 97 trace gas species were quantified from both airborne and ground-based sampling platforms, making this one of the most detailed field studies of fire emissions to date. The measurements include the first emission factors for a suite of monoterpenes produced by heating vegetative fuels during field fires. The first quantitative FTIR observations of limonene in smoke are reported along with an expanded suite of monoterpenes measured by WAS including α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, camphene, 4-carene, and myrcene. The known chemistry of the monoterpenes and their measured abundance of 0.4–27.9% of non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) and ~21% of organic aerosol (mass basis) suggests that they impacted secondary formation of ozone (O3), aerosols, and small organic trace gases such as methanol and formaldehyde in the sampled plumes in first few hours after emission. The variability in the initial terpene emissions in the SC fire plumes was high and, in general, the speciation of the initially emitted gas-phase NMOCs was 13–195% different from that observed in a similar study in nominally similar pine forests in North Carolina ~20 months earlier. It is likely that differences in stand structure and environmental conditions contributed to the high variability observed within and between these studies. Similar factors may explain much of the variability in initial emissions in the literature. The ΔHCN/ΔCO emission ratio, however, was found to be fairly consistent with previous airborne fire measurements in other coniferous-dominated ecosystems, with the mean for these studies being 0.90 ± 0.06%, further confirming the value of HCN as a biomass burning tracer. The SC results also support an earlier finding that C3-C4 alkynes may be of use as biomass burning indicators on the time-scale of hours to a day. It was possible to measure the downwind chemical evolution of the plume on four of the fires and significant O3 formation (ΔO3/ΔCO from 10–90%) occurred in all of these plumes within two hours. The slowest O3 production was observed on a cloudy day with low co-emission of NOx. The fastest O3 production was observed on a sunny day when the downwind plume almost certainly incorporated significant additional NOx by passing over the Columbia, SC metropolitan area. Due to rapid plume dilution, it was only possible to acquire high-quality downwind data for two other trace gas species (formaldehyde and methanol) during two of the fires. In all four of these cases, significant increases in formaldehyde and methanol were observed in <2 h. This is likely the first direct observation of post-emission methanol production in biomass burning plumes. Post-emission production of methanol does not always happen in young biomass burning plumes, and its occurrence in this study could have involved terpene precursors to a significant extent.

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