Emissions of some trace gases from biomass fires

Abstract

Airborne measurements of 13 trace gases from seven forest fires in North America are used to determine their average emission factors. The emission factors are then used to estimate the contributions of biomass burning to the worldwide fluxes of these gases. The estimate for NH₃ (˜7 Tg N yr_-1) is about 50% of the global emissions of this gas. Combined NH₃ and NH₄ emissions from biomass burning could be the most important component of the NH₃ cycle. N₂ 0 from biomass burning (˜2 Tg N yr_-1) is also significant worldwide. The estimate for NO_x from biomass burning worldwide (˜19 Tg N yr_-1), which is greater than previous estimates, is comparable to emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The estimate of the global flux of F12 (CF₂Cl₂) from biomass burning based on the complete data set(˜0.2 Tg yr_-1) is ˜50% of the total global emission of F12. However, this estimate is strongly influenced by a very high emission of F12 from a fire in the Los Angeles Basin. Disregarding this fire yields a global flux of 0.06 Tg yr_-1 (˜15% of total global emissions). The high emissions of NO_x and F12 are due in whole or part to the resuspension of previously deposited pollutants. Since this can be the only source of F12 in the smoke from fires, deposition may be a significant sink for F12. Our estimate for NO_x emissions from biomass burning in the South Coast Air Basin of California is much greater than previous estimates.

Citation

Hegg, Dean A.; Radke, Lawrence F.; Hobbs, Peter V.; Rasmussen, Rei A.; Riggan, Philip J. 1990. Emissions of some trace gases from biomass fires. Journal of Geophysical Research, 95(D5): 5669-5675.