Global model simulations of the long range transport of soot and sulfur from the Kuwait oil fires
It has been reported that up to 6 million barrels of oil per day may be on fire in Kuwait. If 5% of the oil becomes soot and the emissions continue for a year, the total amount injected into the atmosphere would be 18 Tg. If less oil is on fire, but the emission factor is actually 10--15%, a similarly large total amount of soot may be injected over the coarse of a year. The potential emissions of soot from the Kuwait oil fires are large relative to the global emissions of this substance. The spread of soot may reach as far as Mauna Loa in some seasons. In other seasons, the loading of soot within a large area centered about the fires may more than double. This soot will certainly have regional implications for climate, but its global consequences should be investigated. Enhancements to existing monitoring stations throughout the region should be pursued in order to quantify the amount and spread of the soot. The sulfur emissions from the fires are a large source relative to other sources in the area. The monitoring of SO{sub 2} and SO{sub 4}= throughout the region could help quantify the spread of this pollutant as well. 11 refs., 10 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5580058
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-107737; CONF-9104282-1; ON: DE91015771
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Expert meeting on the atmospheric part of the emergency response to the Kuwait oilfield fires, Geneva (Switzerland), 27-30 Apr 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FIRES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
SOOT
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
SULFUR
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CLIMATE MODELS
FORECASTING
GLOBAL ASPECTS
KUWAIT
PETROLEUM
ASIA
CHEMISTRY
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MIDDLE EAST
MONITORING
NONMETALS
POLLUTION
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
540120 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)