Pollution Transport From North America to Greenland During Summer 2008

Journal Article · Wed Apr 10 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Geophysical Research Letters, 13(7):3825-3848

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-3825-2013· OSTI ID:1086405

Thomas, J. L.; Raut, Jean-Christophe; Law, K. S.; Marelle, L.; Ancellet, G.; Ravetta, F.; Fast, Jerome D.; Pfister, G.; Emmons, L.; Diskin, G. S.; Weinheimer, Andrew J.; Roiger, A.; Schlager, H.

Ozone pollution transported to the Arctic is a significant concern because of the rapid, enhanced warming in high northern latitudes, which is caused, in part, by short lived climate forcers, such as ozone. Long range transport of pollution contributes to background and episodic ozone levels in the Arctic. However, the extent to which plumes are photochemically active during transport, particularly during the summer, is uncertain. Regional chemical transport model simulations are used to examine photochemical production of ozone in air masses originating from boreal fire and anthropogenic emissions over North America and during their transport toward the Arctic during early July 2008. Model results shows good agreement with aircraft data collected over boreal fire source regions in Canada and several days downwind over Greenland during the study period. Pollutant plumes were transported east and north towards the Arctic and show significant ozone enhancements downwind of source regions. Anthropogenic plumes were more photochemically active than fire plumes. Together, both sources made an important contribution to ozone in pollution plumes transported to the Arctic.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1086405
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-87473; KP1703020
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, 13(7):3825-3848, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters, 13(7):3825-3848
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English