Atmospheric Chemistry of Wildfires
Wildfire frequency and intensity is increasing in western North America, with impacts on regional air quality and climate. The -AQ initiative is a set of laboratory and field studies designed to provide detailed understanding of the complex emissions and subsequent chemical transformations that define these impacts. Recent measurements at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory using the Airborne Cavity Enhanced Spectrometer have provided emission factors for glyoxal (CHOCHO), nitrous acid (HONO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), species that define photochemical impacts of fire emissions. Deployment of the NOAA Twin Otter to the western U.S. in 2019 will provide near field emissions profiles and an investigation of fire plume photochemistry and nighttime chemistry to determine ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation in fire plumes.