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Title: Southwestern U.S. Biomass Burning Smoke Hygroscopicity: The Role of Plant Phenology, Chemical Composition, and Combustion Properties

Abstract

Abstract Biomass burning emissions have substantially increased with continued warming and drying in the southwestern U.S., impacting air quality and atmospheric processes. To better quantify impacts of biomass burning aerosols, an extensive laboratory study of fresh smoke emissions was conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Laboratory burn experiments with selected native and invasive southwestern U.S. fuels were used to elucidate the role of fuel type, chemical composition, and ignition method on the hygroscopicity of smoke. Here we focus on a custom controlled relative humidity (RH) nephelometry system using the direct measurement of aerosol light scattering with two nephelometers—one at dry conditions and one at a controlled high RH (RH ~ 85%). Aerosol hygroscopicity was highly variable with the enhancement in light scattering coefficient in the range of 1.02 <  f (RH = 85%) < 2.1 and corresponding to the kappa parameter ( κ neph ) ranging from ~0 to 0.18. Hygroscopicity is determined primarily by the fuel's inorganic ion content. For example, invasive halophytes with high inorganic salt content exhibit much greater water uptake than native coniferous species with low inorganic content. Combustion temperature and phase, flaming or smoldering, play a secondary role in the water uptake of smoke. High‐temperature ignition methods create flaming conditions that enhancemore » hygroscopicity while lower‐temperature smoldering conditions diminish hygroscopicity. Our results construct an empirical relation between κ neph and the inorganic content of the fuel and smoke to predict water uptake.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4]
  1. New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States)
  3. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
OSTI Identifier:
1524398
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1438072
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-20787
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
Grant/Contract Number:  
89233218CNA000001; DE‐AC52‐06NA25396; F265
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 123; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-897X
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Earth Sciences; hygroscopicity; kappa nephelometer; ecotech nephelometer; biomass burning; southwestern U.S; wildland fires

Citation Formats

Gomez, Samantha Laray, Carrico, C. M., Allen, C., Lam, Jared Tate, Dabli, S., Sullivan, A. P., Aiken, Allison C., Rahn, Thomas A., Romonosky, Dian, Chylek, Petr, Sevanto, Sanna Annika, and Dubey, Manvendra Krishna. Southwestern U.S. Biomass Burning Smoke Hygroscopicity: The Role of Plant Phenology, Chemical Composition, and Combustion Properties. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1029/2017JD028162.
Gomez, Samantha Laray, Carrico, C. M., Allen, C., Lam, Jared Tate, Dabli, S., Sullivan, A. P., Aiken, Allison C., Rahn, Thomas A., Romonosky, Dian, Chylek, Petr, Sevanto, Sanna Annika, & Dubey, Manvendra Krishna. Southwestern U.S. Biomass Burning Smoke Hygroscopicity: The Role of Plant Phenology, Chemical Composition, and Combustion Properties. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JD028162
Gomez, Samantha Laray, Carrico, C. M., Allen, C., Lam, Jared Tate, Dabli, S., Sullivan, A. P., Aiken, Allison C., Rahn, Thomas A., Romonosky, Dian, Chylek, Petr, Sevanto, Sanna Annika, and Dubey, Manvendra Krishna. Wed . "Southwestern U.S. Biomass Burning Smoke Hygroscopicity: The Role of Plant Phenology, Chemical Composition, and Combustion Properties". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JD028162. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1524398.
@article{osti_1524398,
title = {Southwestern U.S. Biomass Burning Smoke Hygroscopicity: The Role of Plant Phenology, Chemical Composition, and Combustion Properties},
author = {Gomez, Samantha Laray and Carrico, C. M. and Allen, C. and Lam, Jared Tate and Dabli, S. and Sullivan, A. P. and Aiken, Allison C. and Rahn, Thomas A. and Romonosky, Dian and Chylek, Petr and Sevanto, Sanna Annika and Dubey, Manvendra Krishna},
abstractNote = {Abstract Biomass burning emissions have substantially increased with continued warming and drying in the southwestern U.S., impacting air quality and atmospheric processes. To better quantify impacts of biomass burning aerosols, an extensive laboratory study of fresh smoke emissions was conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Laboratory burn experiments with selected native and invasive southwestern U.S. fuels were used to elucidate the role of fuel type, chemical composition, and ignition method on the hygroscopicity of smoke. Here we focus on a custom controlled relative humidity (RH) nephelometry system using the direct measurement of aerosol light scattering with two nephelometers—one at dry conditions and one at a controlled high RH (RH ~ 85%). Aerosol hygroscopicity was highly variable with the enhancement in light scattering coefficient in the range of 1.02 <  f (RH = 85%) < 2.1 and corresponding to the kappa parameter ( κ neph ) ranging from ~0 to 0.18. Hygroscopicity is determined primarily by the fuel's inorganic ion content. For example, invasive halophytes with high inorganic salt content exhibit much greater water uptake than native coniferous species with low inorganic content. Combustion temperature and phase, flaming or smoldering, play a secondary role in the water uptake of smoke. High‐temperature ignition methods create flaming conditions that enhance hygroscopicity while lower‐temperature smoldering conditions diminish hygroscopicity. Our results construct an empirical relation between κ neph and the inorganic content of the fuel and smoke to predict water uptake.},
doi = {10.1029/2017JD028162},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres},
number = 10,
volume = 123,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Cited by: 16 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Southwestern United States Temperature, Precipitation, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) from 1895 to 2016 (NOAA)

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