Premium
Agricultural Fire Impacts on Ozone Photochemistry Over the Yangtze River Delta Region, East China
Author(s) -
Li Mengmeng,
Wang Tijian,
Xie Min,
Li Shu,
Zhuang Bingliang,
Chen Pulong,
Huang Xin,
Han Yong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1029/2018jd028582
Subject(s) - environmental science , plume , ozone , atmospheric sciences , agriculture , trace gas , emission inventory , soot , troposphere , smoke , yangtze river , china , air quality index , meteorology , climatology , environmental chemistry , chemistry , geography , physics , geology , combustion , archaeology , organic chemistry
Agricultural fires could affect tropospheric photochemistry by emitting trace gases, interacting with solar radiation or providing reactive surfaces for heterogeneous reactions. This study examines the effects of a typical agricultural fire event (8–13 June 2012) on ozone photochemistry over the Yangtze River Delta region, East China. The online coupled Weather Research and Forecasting‐Chemistry model is used, with the inclusion of a detailed agricultural fire emission inventory and seven heterogeneous reactions on soot surfaces. Comparisons with satellite and ground observational data indicate that the model is capable of reproducing the transport and evolution of this crop fire event. The precursor emissions from agricultural fires play a major role in modifying ozone photochemistry, with a maximal increase in ozone mixing ratio reaching 20 ppb (40%) near the fire zones in northern Anhui. The radiation feedback generates a small increase of surface NO 2 levels by 2% and a decrease in surface O 3 levels by 1% in the smoke plume. The effects due to heterogeneous uptake on soot are rather small, on average, changing the average O 3 , NO 2 , ˙OH, and HO 2 ˙ concentrations by +0.8%, −0.5%, −0.7%, and +0.8%, respectively. This study highlights the complicated interactions between agricultural fire emissions and photochemistry.