Premium
Trace gas emissions from biomass burning inferred from aerosol optical depth
Author(s) -
PatonWalsh Clare,
Jones Nicholas,
Wilson Stephen,
Meier Arndt,
Deutscher Nicholas,
Griffith David,
Mitchell Ross,
Campbell Susan
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl018973
Subject(s) - trace gas , aerosol , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , carbon monoxide , optical depth , biomass burning , smoke , methane , satellite , environmental chemistry , panache , remote sensing , meteorology , plume , geology , chemistry , physics , biochemistry , organic chemistry , astronomy , catalysis
We have observed strong correlations between simultaneous and co‐located measurements of aerosol optical depth and column amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde and ammonia in bushfire smoke plumes over SE Australia during the Austral summers of 2001/2002 and 2002/2003. We show how satellite‐derived aerosol optical depth maps may be used in conjunction with these correlations to determine the total amounts of these gases present in a fire‐affected region. This provides the basis of a method for estimating total emissions of trace gases from biomass burning episodes using visible radiances measured by satellites.