A pervasive role for biomass burning in tropical high ozone/low water structures

Daniel C. Anderson (), Julie M. Nicely, Ross J. Salawitch, Timothy P. Canty, Russell R. Dickerson, Thomas F. Hanisco, Glenn M. Wolfe, Eric C. Apel, Elliot Atlas, Thomas Bannan, Stephane Bauguitte, Nicola J. Blake, James F. Bresch, Teresa L. Campos, Lucy J. Carpenter, Mark D. Cohen, Mathew Evans, Rafael P. Fernandez, Brian H. Kahn, Douglas E. Kinnison, Samuel R. Hall, Neil R.P. Harris, Rebecca S. Hornbrook, Jean-Francois Lamarque, Michael Le Breton, James D. Lee, Carl Percival, Leonhard Pfister, R. Bradley Pierce, Daniel D. Riemer, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Barbara J.B. Stunder, Anne M. Thompson, Kirk Ullmann, Adam Vaughan and Andrew J. Weinheimer
Additional contact information
Daniel C. Anderson: University of Maryland
Julie M. Nicely: University of Maryland
Ross J. Salawitch: University of Maryland
Timothy P. Canty: University of Maryland
Russell R. Dickerson: University of Maryland
Thomas F. Hanisco: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Glenn M. Wolfe: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Eric C. Apel: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Elliot Atlas: Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
Thomas Bannan: Centre for Atmospheric Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric, and Environmental Science, The University of Manchester
Stephane Bauguitte: Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements
Nicola J. Blake: Deparment of Chemistry, University of California
James F. Bresch: Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Teresa L. Campos: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Lucy J. Carpenter: Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, University of York
Mark D. Cohen: NOAA Air Resources Laboratory
Mathew Evans: Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, University of York
Rafael P. Fernandez: Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC
Brian H. Kahn: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Douglas E. Kinnison: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Samuel R. Hall: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Neil R.P. Harris: Cambridge University
Rebecca S. Hornbrook: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Jean-Francois Lamarque: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Michael Le Breton: Centre for Atmospheric Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric, and Environmental Science, The University of Manchester
James D. Lee: National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of York
Carl Percival: Centre for Atmospheric Science, School of Earth, Atmospheric, and Environmental Science, The University of Manchester
Leonhard Pfister: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field
R. Bradley Pierce: NOAA/NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research
Daniel D. Riemer: Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
Alfonso Saiz-Lopez: Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC
Barbara J.B. Stunder: NOAA Air Resources Laboratory
Anne M. Thompson: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Kirk Ullmann: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Adam Vaughan: National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of York
Andrew J. Weinheimer: Atmospheric Chemistry Observation and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Air parcels with mixing ratios of high O3 and low H2O (HOLW) are common features in the tropical western Pacific (TWP) mid-troposphere (300–700 hPa). Here, using data collected during aircraft sampling of the TWP in winter 2014, we find strong, positive correlations of O3 with multiple biomass burning tracers in these HOLW structures. Ozone levels in these structures are about a factor of three larger than background. Models, satellite data and aircraft observations are used to show fires in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia are the dominant source of high O3 and that low H2O results from large-scale descent within the tropical troposphere. Previous explanations that attribute HOLW structures to transport from the stratosphere or mid-latitude troposphere are inconsistent with our observations. This study suggest a larger role for biomass burning in the radiative forcing of climate in the remote TWP than is commonly appreciated.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10267

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