Emission Fluxes from Biomass Burning during BB-FLUX Using the CU Airborne SOF Instrument

Column measurements of trace gas absorption along the direct solar beam present a powerful yet underused approach to quantify emission fluxes from area sources such as biomass burning. The University of Colorado Solar Occultation Flux (CU SOF) instrument (Kille et al., 2017, AMT, doi:10.5194/amt-10-373-2017) has been adapted for use from research aircraft to quantify emissions of trace gases such as CO, NH₃, and hydrocarbons from wildfires. This is motivated by events such as the Northern California fires from October 2017, which killed over 40 people, and caused $9 billion in economic damage. CU SOF took first airborne measurements in smoke during those fires from aboard the Wyoming King Air to demonstrate its technique in preparation for BB-FLUX.

During the Pacific Northwest wildfire season the CU SOF instrument was deployed on the Wyoming King Air for the BB-FLUX project from July-September 2018 (PI: Rainer Volkamer). Objectives of the project were to quantify regional smoke (e.g. California wildfire smoke that is transported over the western US) as well as determine emission fluxes and plume aging from local fires (e.g. Sharps fire in Idaho). We will discuss our application to study emissions from biomass burning plumes. CU airborne SOF measures infrared active gases. This presentation explores the use of emissions estimates of CO and NH₃ to assess wildfire impacts on particulate matter pollution and ozone formation, and for comparison with WRF-Chem model simulations and bottom up and top down emission inventories.