scholarly journals Biomass burning aerosol emissions from vegetation fires: particle number and mass emission factors and size distributions

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1427-1439 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Janhäll ◽  
M. O. Andreae ◽  
U. Pöschl
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Fuel Type ◽  
Vegetation Fires ◽  
Aerosol Emissions ◽  
Co Emission ◽  
Emission Ratios

Abstract. Aerosol emissions from vegetation fires have a large impact on air quality and climate. In this study, we use published experimental data and different fitting procedures to derive dynamic particle number and mass emission factors (EFPN, EFPM) related to the fuel type, burning conditions and the mass of dry fuel burned, as well as characteristic CO-referenced emission ratios (PN/CO, PM/CO). Moreover, we explore and characterize the variability of the particle size distribution of fresh smoke, which is typically dominated by a lognormal accumulation mode with count median diameter around 120 nm (depending on age, fuel and combustion efficiency), and its effect on the relationship between particle number and mass emission factors. For the particle number emission factor of vegetation fires, we found no dependence on fuel type and obtained the following parameterization as a function of modified combustion efficiency (MCE): EFPN=34×1015×(1−MCE) kg−1±1015 kg−1 with regard to dry fuel mass (d.m.). For the fine particle mass emission factors (EFPM) we obtained (86–85×MCE) g kg−1±3 g kg−1 as an average for all investigated fires; (93–90×MCE) g kg−1±4 g kg−1 for forest; (67–65×MCE) g kg−1±2 g kg−1 for savanna; (63–62×MCE) g kg−1±1 g kg−1 for grass. For the PN/CO emission ratio we obtained an average of (34±16) cm−3 ppb−1 exhibiting no systematic dependence on fuel type or combustion efficiency. The average PM/CO emission ratios were (0.09±0.04) g g−1 for all investigated fires; (0.13±0.05) g g−1 for forest; (0.08±0.03) g g−1 for savanna; and (0.07±0.03) g g−1 for grass. The results are consistent with each other, given that particles from forest fires are on average larger than those from savanna and grass fires. This assumption and the above parameterizations represent the current state of knowledge, but they are based on a rather limited amount of experimental data which should be complemented by further measurements. Nevertheless, the presented parameterizations appear sufficiently robust for exploring the influence of vegetation fires on aerosol particle number and mass concentrations in regional and global model studies.

scholarly journals Biomass burning aerosol emissions from vegetation fires: particle number and mass emission factors and size distributions

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 17183-17217 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Janhäll ◽  
M. O. Andreae ◽  
U. Pöschl
Keyword(s):  
Particle Number ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Fuel Type ◽  
Vegetation Fires ◽  
Fitting Procedures ◽  
Median Diameter ◽  
Count Median Diameter ◽  
Biomass Burning Aerosol ◽  
Aerosol Emissions

Abstract. Aerosol emissions from vegetation fires have a large impact on air quality and climate. In this study, we use published experimental data and different fitting procedures to derive dynamic particle number and mass emission factors (EFPN, EFPM) related to the fuel type, burning conditions and the mass of dry fuel burned, as well as characteristic CO-referenced emission ratios (PN/CO, PM/CO). Moreover, we explore and characterize the variability of the particle size distribution of fresh smoke, which is typically dominated by a lognormal accumulation mode with count median diameter around 120 nm (depending on age, fuel and combustion efficiency), and its effect on the relationship between particle number and mass emission factors. For the particle number emission factor of vegetation fires, we found no dependence on fuel type and obtained the following parameterization as a function of modified combustion efficiency (MCE): EFPN=34·1015×(1-MCE) kg−1±1015 kg−1 with regard to dry fuel mass (d.m.). For the fine particle mass emission factors (EFPM) we obtained (86–85×MCE) g kg−1±3 g kg−1 as an average for all investigated fires; (93–90×MCE) g kg

scholarly journals Airborne measurements of trace gas and aerosol particle emissions from biomass burning in Amazonia

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 2989-3002 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Guyon ◽  
G. P. Frank ◽  
M. Welling ◽  
D. Chand ◽  
P. Artaxo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Secondary Growth ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Vertical Transport ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Sampling Campaign ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Emission Ratios

Abstract. As part of the LBA-SMOCC (Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia - Smoke, Aerosols, Clouds, Rainfall, and Climate) 2002 campaign, we studied the emission of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and aerosol particles from Amazonian deforestation fires using an instrumented aircraft. Emission ratios for aerosol number (CN) relative to CO (ERCN/CO) fell in the range 14-32 cm-3 ppb-1 in most of the investigated smoke plumes. Particle number emission ratios have to our knowledge not been previously measured in tropical deforestation fires, but our results are in agreement with values usually found from tropical savanna fires. The number of particles emitted per amount biomass burned was found to be dependent on the fire conditions (combustion efficiency). Variability in ERCN/CO between fires was similar to the variability caused by variations in combustion behavior within each individual fire. This was confirmed by observations of CO-to-CO2 emission ratios (ERCO/CO2), which stretched across the same wide range of values for individual fires as for all the fires observed during the sampling campaign, reflecting the fact that flaming and smoldering phases are present simultaneously in deforestation fires. Emission factors (EF) for CO and aerosol particles were computed and a correction was applied for the residual smoldering combustion (RSC) fraction of emissions that are not sampled by the aircraft, which increased the EF by a factor of 1.5-2.1. Vertical transport of smoke from the boundary layer (BL) to the cloud detrainment layer (CDL) and the free troposphere (FT) was found to be a very common phenomenon. We observed a 20% loss in particle number as a result of this vertical transport and subsequent cloud processing, attributable to in-cloud coagulation. This small loss fraction suggests that this mode of transport is very efficient in terms of particle numbers and occurs mostly via non-precipitating clouds. The detrained aerosol particles released in the CDL and FT were larger than in the unprocessed smoke, mostly due to coagulation and secondary growth, and therefore more efficient at scattering radiation and nucleating cloud droplets. This process may have significant atmospheric implications on a regional and larger scale.

scholarly journals IASI-derived NH<sub>3</sub> enhancement ratios relative to CO for the tropical biomass burning regions

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 12239-12252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Whitburn ◽  
Martin Van Damme ◽  
Lieven Clarisse ◽  
Daniel Hurtmans ◽  
Cathy Clerbaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Differences ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Fuel Type ◽  
Broadleaf Forest ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Vegetation Fires ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract. Vegetation fires are a major source of ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere. Their emissions are mainly estimated using bottom-up approaches that rely on uncertain emission factors. In this study, we derive new biome-specific NH3 enhancement ratios relative to carbon monoxide (CO), ERNH3 ∕ CO (directly related to the emission factors), from the measurements of the IASI sounder onboard the Metop-A satellite. This is achieved for large tropical regions and for an 8-year period (2008–2015). We find substantial differences in the ERNH3 ∕ CO ratios between the biomes studied, with calculated values ranging from 7  ×  10−3 to 23  ×  10−3. For evergreen broadleaf forest these are typically 50–75 % higher than for woody savanna and savanna biomes. This variability is attributed to differences in fuel types and size and is in line with previous studies. The analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of the ERNH3 ∕ CO ratio also reveals a (sometimes large) within-biome variability. On a regional level, woody savanna shows, for example, a mean ERNH3 ∕ CO ratio for the region of Africa south of the Equator that is 40–75 % lower than in the other five regions studied, probably reflecting regional differences in fuel type and burning conditions. The same variability is also observed on a yearly basis, with a peak in the ERNH3 ∕ CO ratio observed for the year 2010 for all biomes. These results highlight the need for the development of dynamic emission factors that take into better account local variations in fuel type and fire conditions. We also compare the IASI-derived ERNH3 ∕ CO ratio with values reported in the literature, usually calculated from ground-based or airborne measurements. We find general good agreement in the referenced ERNH3 ∕ CO ratio except for cropland, for which the ERNH3 ∕ CO ratio shows an underestimation of about 2–2.5 times.

scholarly journals Emissions of trace gases from Australian temperate forest fires: emission factors and dependence on modified combustion efficiency

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 3717-3735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise-Andrée Guérette ◽  
Clare Paton-Walsh ◽  
Maximilien Desservettaz ◽  
Thomas E. L. Smith ◽  
Liubov Volkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Ion Flow ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Trace Gas Emissions ◽  
Open Path ◽  
Modified Combustion Efficiency

Abstract. We characterised trace gas emissions from Australian temperate forest fires through a mixture of open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) measurements and selective ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and White cell FTIR analysis of grab samples. We report emission factors for a total of 25 trace gas species measured in smoke from nine prescribed fires. We find significant dependence on modified combustion efficiency (MCE) for some species, although regional differences indicate that the use of MCE as a proxy may be limited. We also find that the fire-integrated MCE values derived from our in situ on-the-ground open-path measurements are not significantly different from those reported for airborne measurements of smoke from fires in the same ecosystem. We then compare our average emission factors to those measured for temperate forest fires elsewhere (North America) and for fires in another dominant Australian ecosystem (savanna) and find significant differences in both cases. Indeed, we find that although the emission factors of some species agree within 20 %, including those of hydrogen cyanide, ethene, methanol, formaldehyde and 1,3-butadiene, others, such as acetic acid, ethanol, monoterpenes, ammonia, acetonitrile and pyrrole, differ by a factor of 2 or more. This indicates that the use of ecosystem-specific emission factors is warranted for applications involving emissions from Australian forest fires.

scholarly journals Emissions of trace gases from Australian temperate forest fires: emission factors and dependence on modified combustion efficiency

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise-Andrée Guérette ◽  
Clare Paton-Walsh ◽  
Maximilien Desservettaz ◽  
Thomas E. L. Smith ◽  
Liubov Volkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Trace Gas Emissions ◽  
Open Path ◽  
Modified Combustion Efficiency

Abstract. We characterised trace gas emissions from Australian temperate forest fires through a mixture of in situ open-path FTIR measurements spectroscopy and selective ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and White cell FTIR spectroscopy of grab samples. We report emission factors for a total of 25 trace gas species measured in smoke from nine prescribed fires. We find significant dependence on modified combustion efficiency (MCE) for some species, although regional differences indicate that the use of MCE as a proxy may be limited. We also find that the fire-integrated MCE values derived from our in situ on-the-ground open-path measurements are not significantly different from those reported for airborne measurements of smoke from fires in the same ecosystem. We then compare our average emission factors to those measured for fires in North American temperate ecosystems and for fires in Australian savanna and find that, although emission factors of some species agree within 20 %, others differ by a factor of 2 or more. This indicates that the use of ecosystem-specific emission factors is warranted for applications involving emissions from Australian forest fires.

scholarly journals IASI-derived NH<sub>3</sub> enhancement ratios relative to CO for the tropical biomass burning regions

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Whitburn ◽  
Martin Van Damme ◽  
Lieven Clarisse ◽  
Daniel Hurtmans ◽  
Cathy Clerbaux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Differences ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
The Other ◽  
Fuel Type ◽  
Broadleaf Forest ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Vegetation Fires

Abstract. Vegetation fires are a major source of ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere. Their emissions are mainly estimated from bottom-up approaches which rely on uncertain emission factors. In this study, we derive new biome-specific NH3 enhancement ratios relative to carbon monoxide (CO), ERNH3/CO – directly related to the emission factors, from the measurements of the IASI sounder on board the Metop-A satellite. This is achieved for large tropical regions and for a 8-year period (2008–2015). We find substantial differences in the ERNH3/CO between the studied biomes with calculated values ranging from 4.4 × 10−3 to 17 × 10−3. For Evergreen Broadleaf Forest these are typically 75–100 % higher than for Woody Savanna and Savanna biomes. This variability is attributed to differences in fuel types and size and is in line with previous studies. The analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of the ERNH3/CO also reveals a (sometimes large) within-biome variability. On a regional level, Woody Savanna shows for example a mean ERNH3/CO for the region of Africa South of the Equator which is 50–100 % lower than in the other five studied regions, probably reflecting regional differences in fuel type and burning conditions. The same variability is also observed on a yearly basis with a peak in the ERNH3/CO observed for the year 2010 for all biomes. These results highlight the need for the development of dynamic emission factors that better take into account local variations in fuel type and fire conditions. We also compare the IASI-derived ERNH3/CO with values reported in the literature, usually calculated from ground-based or airborne measurements. We find a general underestimation over the referenced ERNH3/CO of about 40 % for Woody Savanna and Savanna and up to a factor 1.5–4 for Evergreen Broadleaf Forest and Cropland. Beyond a possible overestimation of the ERNH3/CO in the literature, the observed differences could also be related to various factors including instrumental limits, bias in the retrieval of the NH3 columns, parameterization in the calculation of the ERNH3/CO or accumulation of CO in the studied regions during the fire period.

scholarly journals Field determination of biomass burning emission ratios and factors via open-path FTIR spectroscopy and fire radiative power assessment: headfire, backfire and residual smouldering combustion in African savannahs

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 3529-3578 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Wooster ◽  
P. H. Freeborn ◽  
S. Archibald ◽  
C. Oppenheimer ◽  
G. J. Roberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ftir Spectroscopy ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Radiative Energy ◽  
Open Path ◽  
Smouldering Combustion ◽  
Emission Ratios

Abstract. Biomass burning emissions factors are vital to quantifying trace gases releases from vegetation fires. Here we evaluate emissions factors for a series of savannah fires in Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa using ground-based open path Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and an infrared lamp separated by 150–250 m distance. Molecular abundances along the extended open path are retrieved using a spectral forward model coupled to a non-linear least squares fitting approach. We demonstrate derivation of trace gas column amounts for horizontal paths transecting the width of the advected plume, and find, for example, that CO mixing ratio changes of ~0.001 μmol mol−1 (~10 ppbv) can be detected across the relatively long optical paths used here. We focus analysis on five key compounds whose production is preferential during the pyrolysis (CH2O), flaming (CO2) and smoldering (CO, CH4, NH3) fire phases. We demonstrate that well constrained emissions ratios for these gases to both CO2 and CO can be derived for the backfire, headfire and residual smouldering combustion stages of these savannah fires, from which stage-specific emission factors can then be calculated. Headfires and backfires in general show similar emission ratios and emission factors, but those of the residual smouldering combustion stage can differ substantially (e.g., ERCH4/CO2 up to ~7 times higher than for the flaming stages). The timing of each fire stage was identified via airborne optical and thermal IR imagery and ground-observer reports, with the airborne IR imagery also used to derive estimates of fire radiative energy, thus allowing the relative amount of fuel burned in each stage to be calculated and the "fire averaged" emission ratios and emission factors to be determined. The derived "fire averaged" emission ratios are dominated by the headfire contribution, since the vast majority of the fuel is burned in this stage. Our fire averaged emission ratios and factors for CO2 and CH4 agree with those from published studies conducted in the same area using airborne plume sampling, and we concur with past suggestions that emission factors for formaldehyde in this environment appear substantially underestimated in widely used databases. We also find the emission ratios and factors for CO and NH3 to be somewhat higher than most other estimates, however, we see no evidence to support suggestions of a major overestimation in the emission factor of ammonia. Our data also suggest that the contribution of burning animal (elephant) dung can be a significant factor in the emissions characteristics of certain KNP fires, and indicate some similarities between the time series of fire brightness temperature and modified combustion efficiency (MCE) that supports suggestions that EO-derived fire temperature estimates maybe useful when attempting to remotely classify fire activity into its different phases. We conclude that ground-based, extended open path FTIR spectroscopy is a practical and very effective means for determining emission ratios, emission factors and modified combustion efficiencies at open vegetation fire plumes, allowing these to be probed at temporal and spatial scales difficult to explore using other ground-based approaches. Though we limited our study to five key emissions products, open path FTIR spectroscopy can detect dozens of other species, as has been demonstrated during previous closed-path FTIR airborne deployments in the same study area.

Burning California Chaparral - an Exploratory Study of Some Common Shrubs and Their Combustion Characteristics.

1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
DR Weise ◽  
DE Ward ◽  
TE Paysen ◽  
AL Koonce
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Particulate Emissions ◽  
Scrub Oak ◽  
Adenostoma Fasciculatum ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2 ◽  
Co Emission

Prescribed fire is a tool used to manage vegetation in southern California. The nature and quan tity of gaseous and particulate emissions have not been described for California chaparral. A study examining carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and par ticulate matter emissions from fuel beds constructed from common chaparral shrubs was initiated. Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), ceanothus (Ceanothus crassifolius), manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa), and scrub oak (Quercus dumosa) fuel beds were burned in December 1989, and March, May, and August, 1990. Gas and particulate matter samples were collected from 45 fires. Emission factors for CO2 and particulate matter were affected by species and month individually; month and species interacted and affected CO emission factors. Pearson's correlation coefficient and Kendall's tau indi cated that emission factors for CO and particulate matter were inversely related to combustion efficiency.

scholarly journals Determination of car on-road black carbon and particle number emission factors and comparison between mobile and stationary measurements

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Ježek ◽  
L. Drinovec ◽  
L. Ferrero ◽  
M. Carriero ◽  
G. Močnik
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Particle Number ◽  
Emission Factors ◽  
Emission Measurement ◽  
Stationary Method ◽  
Characteristic Value ◽  
Portable Emission Measurement System ◽  
Specific Distribution ◽  
Mobile Measurement

Abstract. We have used two methods for measuring emission factors (EFs) in real driving conditions on five cars in a controlled environment: the stationary method, where the investigated vehicle drives by the stationary measurement platform and the composition of the plume is measured, and the chasing method, where a mobile measurement platform drives behind the investigated vehicle. We measured EFs of black carbon and particle number concentration. The stationary method was tested for repeatability at different speeds and on a slope. The chasing method was tested on a test track and compared to the portable emission measurement system. We further developed the data processing algorithm for both methods, trying to improve consistency, determine the plume duration, limit the background influence and facilitate automatic processing of measurements. The comparison of emission factors determined by the two methods showed good agreement. EFs of a single car measured with either method have a specific distribution with a characteristic value and a long tail of super emissions. Measuring EFs at different speeds or slopes did not significantly influence the EFs of different cars; hence, we propose a new description of vehicle emissions that is not related to kinematic or engine parameters, and we rather describe the vehicle EF with a characteristic value and a super emission tail.

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