The consequences of global biomass burning

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Earth in Space; (USA)

OSTI ID:5929743

Levine, J S ^[1]

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1. NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (USA)

Global biomass burning encompasses forest burning for land clearing, the annual burning of grasslands, the annual burning of agricultural stubble and waste after harvests, and the burning of wood as fuel. These activities generate CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and other hydrocarbons, CO, H{sub 2}, NO, NH{sub 3}, and CH{sub 3}Cl; of these, CO, CH{sub 4} and the hydrocarbons, and NO, are involved in the photochemical production of tropospheric O{sub 3}, while NO is transformed to NO{sub 2} and then to nitric acid, which falls as acid rain. Biomass burning is also a major source of atmospheric particulates and aerosols which affect the transmission of incoming solar radiation and outgoing IR radiation through the atmosphere, with significant climatic effects.

• OSTI ID: 5929743
• Journal Information: Earth in Space; (USA), Journal Name: Earth in Space; (USA) Vol. 3; ISSN 1040-3124; ISSN EARSE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACID RAIN
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOMASS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COLLOIDS
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
DEFORESTATION
DISPERSIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FORESTS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
OXIDATION
OZONE
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
POLLUTION
RADIATIONS
RAIN
RANGELANDS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLS
STELLAR RADIATION
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES