Simulating the transport and chemical evolution of biomass burning pollutants originating from Southeast Asia during 7-SEAS/2010 Dongsha experiment

Ming Tung Chuang, Joshua S. Fu, Neng Huei Lin, Chung Te Lee, Yang Gao, Sheng Hsiang Wang, Guey Rong Sheu, Ta Chih Hsiao, Jia Lin Wang, Ming Cheng Yen, Tang Huang Lin, Narisara Thongboonchoo, Wei Chen Chen

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22 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study aimed to simulate the transport of biomass burning (BB) aerosol originating from Southeast Asia (SEA) during the Dongsha Experiment conducted from March 2010 to April 2010. Transport pathways were reanalyzed and steering flow in the mid-latitude areas and anticyclones in low-latitude areas were found to control the transport of BB plume after it was injected to a high atmosphere. For the 12 simulated and observed events at Mt. Lulin (2862m MSL; 23°28'07″ N, 120°52'25″ E), the 72h backward trajectories were all tracked back to southern China and northern Indochina, which were the locations of the largest BB fire activities in SEA. Chemical evolutions of BB pollutants along the moving trajectories showed that organic matter was always the dominant component in PM2.5, consistent with the observations at both near-source regions and Mt. Lulin. For nitrogen species, nearly all NOx molecules oxidized into HNO3, NO3-, PAN, and PANX in fires or near fires. The synchronic consumption of NOx, SO2, and NH3 explained the production of the major components of inorganic salts. In the moving BB plume, sulfate concentration increased with decreased nitrate concentration. Ratios of ammonium to PM2.5 and elemental carbon to PM2.5 remained nearly constant because additional sources were lacking.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)294-305
Number of pages12
JournalAtmospheric Environment
Volume112
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2015

Keywords

  • 2010 Dongsha experiment
  • Biomass burning
  • Chemical evolution
  • Simulation
  • Transport

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