References

ACP

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ACP

1680-7324

Copernicus GmbH

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/acp-7-5437-2007

ACE-FTS observation of a young biomass burning plume: first reported measurements of C2H4, C3H6O, H2CO and PAN by infrared occultation from space

Coheur

P.-F.

¹ Herbin

¹ Clerbaux

¹ ² Hurtmans

¹ Wespes

¹ Carleer

¹ Turquety

² Rinsland

C. P.

³ Remedios

⁴ Hauglustaine

⁵ Boone

C. D.

⁶ Bernath

P. F.

⁶ ⁷

Spectroscopie de l'atmosphère, Chimie Quantique et Photophysique, Univ. Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Brussels, Belgium

Service d'Aéronomie/Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, France

NASA Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 401A, Hampton, VA 23681-2199, USA

Earth Observation Science, Space Research Centre, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK

Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE)/Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, CEA-CNRS, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France

Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada

Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK

19 10 2007

7 20 5437 5446

This is an open-access article ditributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

This article is available from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/5437/2007/acp-7-5437-2007.html

The full text article is available as a PDF file from http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/5437/2007/acp-7-5437-2007.pdf

In the course of our study of the upper tropospheric composition with the infrared Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment – Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE–FTS), we found an occultation sequence that on 8 October 2005, sampled a remarkable plume near the east coast of Tanzania. Model simulations of the CO distribution in the Southern hemisphere are performed for this period and they suggest that the emissions for this event likely originated from a nearby forest fire, after which the plume was transported from the source region to the upper troposphere. Taking advantage of the very high signal-to-noise ratio of the ACE–FTS spectra over a wide wavenumber range (750–4400 cm−1), we present in-depth analyses of the chemical composition of this plume in the middle and upper troposphere, focusing on the measurements of weakly absorbing pollutants. For this specific biomass burning event, we report simultaneous observations of an unprecedented number of organic species. Measurements of C2H4 (ethene), C3H4 (propyne), H2CO (formaldehyde), C3H6O (acetone) and CH3COO2NO2 (peroxyacetylnitrate, abbreviated as PAN) are the first reported detections using infrared occultation spectroscopy from satellites. Based on the lifetime of the emitted species, we discuss the photochemical age of the plume and also report, whenever possible, the enhancement ratios relative to CO.

References 1

Allen, G., Remedios, J. J., Newnham, D. A., Smith, K. M., and Monks, P. S.: Improved mid-infrared cross-sections for peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) vapour, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5, 47–56, 2005a.

Allen, G., Remedios, J. J., and Smith, K. M.: Low temperature mid-infrared cross-sections for peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) vapour, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5, 3153–3158, 2005b.

Andreae, M. O. and Merlet, P.: Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning, G. Biogeochem. Cycles, 15, 955–966, doi:910.1029/2000GB001382, 2001.

Bernath, P. F., McElroy, C. T., Abrams, M. C., Boone, C. D., Butler, M., Camy-Peyret, C., Carleer, M., Clerbaux, C., Coheur, P. F., Colin, R., DeCola, P., Bernath, P. F., McElroy, C. T., Abrams, M. C., Boone, C. D., Butler, M., Camy-Peyret, C., Carleer, M., Clerbaux, C., Coheur, P. F., Colin, R., DeCola, P., DeMaziere, M., Drummond, J. R., Dufour, D., Evans, W. F. J., Fast, H., Fussen, D., Gilbert, K., Jennings, D. E., Llewellyn, E. J., Lowe, R. P., Mahieu, E., McConnell, J. C., McHugh, M., McLeod, S. D., Michaud, R., Midwinter, C., Nassar, R., Nichitiu, F., Nowlan, C., Rinsland, C. P., Rochon, Y. J., Rowlands, N., Semeniuk, K., Simon, P., Skelton, R., Sloan, J. J., Soucy, M. A., Strong, K., Tremblay, P., Turnbull, D., Walker, K. A., Walkty, I., Wardle, D. A., Wehrle, V., Zander, R., and Zou, J.: Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE): Mission overview, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15S01, doi:10.1029/2005GL022386, 2005.

Boone, C. D., Nassar, R., Walker, K. A., Rochon, Y., McLeod, S. D., Rinsland, C. P., and Bernath, P. F.: Retrievals for the atmospheric chemistry experiment Fourier-transform spectrometer, Appl. Optics, 44, 7218–7231, 2005.

Burgess, A. B., Dudhia, A., Grainger, R. G., and Stevenson, D.: Progress in tropospheric ammonia retrieval from the MIPAS satellite instrument, Adv. Space Res., 37, 2218–2221, 2006.

Clerbaux, C., Coheur, P. F., Hurtmans, D., Barret, B., Carleer, M., Colin, R., Semeniuk, K., McConnell, J. C., Boone, C., and Bernath, P.: Carbon monoxide distribution from the ACE-FTS solar occultation measurements, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L16S01, doi:10.1029/2005GL022394, 2005.

Dufour, G., Boone, C. D., Rinsland, C. P., and Bernath, P. F.: First space-borne measurements of methanol inside aged southern tropical to mid-latitude biomass burning plumes using the ACE-FTS instrument, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 3463–3470, 2006.

Edwards, D. P., Emmons, L. K., Gille, J. C., Chu, A., Attie, J. L., Giglio, L., Wood, S. W., Haywood, J., Deeter, M. N., Massie, S. T., Ziskin, D. C., and Drummond, J. R.: Satellite-observed pollution from Southern Hemisphere biomass burning, J. Geophys. Res., 111, D14312, doi:10.1029/2005JD006655, 2006.

El Idrissi, M. I., Lievin, J., Herman, M., Campargue, A., and Graner, G.: The vibrational energy pattern in propyne ((CH3C2H)-C-12-C-12), Chem. Phys., 265, 273–289, 2001.

Emanuel, K. A. and Zivkovic-Rothman, M.: Development and evaluation of a convection scheme for use in climate models, J. Atm. Sc., 56, 1766–1782, 1999.

Fromm, M., Tupper, A., Rosenfeld, D., Servranckx, R., and McRae, R.: Violent pyro-convective storm devastates Australia's capital and pollutes the stratosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L05815, doi:10.1029/2005GL025161, 2006.

Glatthor, N., von Clarmann, T., Fischer, H., Funke, B., Grabowski, U., Höpfner, M., Kellmann, S., Kiefer, M., Linden, A., Milz, M., Steck, T., and Stiller, G. P.: Global peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) retrieval in the upper troposphere from limb emission spectra of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS), Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 7, 1391–1420, 2007.

Goode, J. G., Yokelson, R. J., Ward, D. E., Susott, R. A., Babbitt, R. E., Davies, M. A., and Hao, W. M.: Measurements of excess O3, CO2, CO, CH4, C2H4, C2H2, HCN, NO, NH3, HCOOH, CH3COOH, HCHO, and CH3OH in 1997 Alaskan biomass burning plumes by airborne fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (AFTIR), J. Geophys. Res., 105, 22 147–22 166, doi:22110.21029/22000JD900287, 2000.

Hauglustaine, D. A., Hourdin, F., Jourdain, L., Filiberti, M. A., Walters, S., Lamarque, J. F., and Holland, E. A.: Interactive chemistry in the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique general circulation model: Description and background tropospheric chemistry evaluation, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D04314, doi:10.1029/2003JD003957, 2004.

Hobbs, P. V., Sinha, P., Yokelson, R. J., Christian, T. J., Blake, D. R., Gao, S., Kirchstetter, T. W., Novakov, T., and Pilewskie, P.: Evolution of gases and particles from a savanna fire in South Africa, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8487, doi:10.1029/2002JD002352, 2003.

Jost, C., Trentmann, J., Sprung, D., Andreae, M. O., McQuaid, J. B., and Barjat, H.: Trace gas chemistry in a young biomass burning plume over Namibia: Observations and model simulations, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8482, doi:10.1029/2002JD002431, 2003.

Kleiner, I., Tarrago, G., Cottaz, C., Sagui, L., Brown, L. R., Poynter, R. L., Pickett, H. M., Chen, P., Pearson, J. C., Sams, R. L., Blake, G. A., Matsuura, S., Nemtchinov, V., Varanasi, P., Fusina, L., and Di Lonardo, G.: NH3 and PH3 line parameters: the 2000 HITRAN update and new results, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transfer, 82, 293–312, 2003.

Livesey, N. J., Fromm, M. D., Waters, J. W., Manney, G. L., Santee, M. L., and Read, W. G.: Enhancements in lower stratospheric CH3CN observed by the upper atmosphere research satellite microwave limb sounder following boreal forest fires, J. Geophys. Res., 109, D06308, doi:10.1029/2003JD004055, 2004.

Mason, S. A., Trentmann, J., Winterrath, T., Yokelson, R. J., Christian, T. J., Carlson, L. J., Warner, T. R., Wolfe, L. C., and Andreae, M. O.: Intercomparison of two box models of the chemical evolution in biomass-burning smoke plumes, J. Atmos. Chem., 55, 273–297, 2006.

Mauzerall, D. L., Logan, J. A., Jacob, D. J., Anderson, B. E., Blake, D. R., Bradshaw, J. D., Heikes, B., Sachse, G. W., Singh, H., and Talbot, B.: Photochemistry in biomass burning plumes and implications for tropospheric ozone over the tropical South Atlantic, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 19 281–19 282, 1998.

Perrin, A., Valentin, A., and Daumont, L.: New analysis of the 2$\nu _4$, $\nu _4+\nu _6$, 2$\nu _6$, $\nu _3+\nu _4$, $\nu _3+\nu _6$, $\nu _1$, $\nu _5$, $\nu _2+\nu _4$, 2$\nu _3$, $\nu _2+\nu _6$ and $\nu _2+\nu _3$, bands of formaldehyde (H2CO)-$^12$C$^16$O: Line positions and intensities in the 3.5 $\mu $m spectral region, Journal of Molecular Structure, 780-81, 28–44, 2006.

Remedios, J. J., Allen, G., and Waterfall, A. M.: Infra-red remote sensing of organic compounds in the upper troposphere, paper presented at ESA Atmospheric Science Conference, ESRIN, Frascati, Italy, 2006.

Remedios, J. J., Allen, G., Waterfall, A. M., Oelhaf, H., Kleinert, A., and Moore, D. P.: Detection of organic compound signatures in infra-red, limb emission spectra observed by the MIPAS-B2 balloon instrument, Atm. Chem. Phys., 7, 1599–1613, 2007.

Rinsland, C. P., Boone, C. D., Bernath, P. F., Mahieu, E., Zander, R., Dufour, G., Clerbaux, C., Turquety, S., Chiou, L., McConnell, J. C., Neary, L., and Kaminski, J. W.: First space-based observations of formic acid (HCOOH): Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment austral spring 2004 and 2005 Southern Hemisphere tropical-mid-latitude upper tropospheric measurements, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L23804, doi:23810.21029/22006GL027128, 2006.

Rinsland, C. P., Coheur, P. F., Herbin, H., Clerbaux, C., Boone, C. D., Bernath, P. F., and Chiou, L.: Detection of elevated tropospheric H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) mixing ratios in ACE (atmospheric chemistry experiment) subtropical infrared solar occultation spectra, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transfer, 107(2), 340–348, 2007.

Rinsland, C. P., Paton-Walsh, C., Jones, N. B., Griffith, D. W. T., Goldman, A., Wood, S. W., Chiou, L., and Meier, A.: High spectral resolution solar absorption measurements of ethylene (C2H$_4)$ in a forest fire smoke plume using HITRAN parameters: Tropospheric vertical profile retrieval, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transfer, 96, 301–309, 2005.

Rothman, L. S., Jacquemart, D., Barbe, A., Benner, D. C., Birk, M., Brown, L. R., Carleer, M. R., Chackerian, C., Chance, K., Coudert, L. H., Dana, V., Devi, V. M., Flaud, J. M., Gamache, R. R., Goldman, A., Hartmann, J. M., Jucks, K. W., Maki, A. G., Mandin, J. Y., Massie, S. T., Orphal, J., Perrin, A., Rinsland, C. P., Smith, M. A. H., Tennyson, J., Tolchenov, R. N., Toth, R. A., Vander Auwera, J., Varanasi, P., and Wagner, G.: The HITRAN 2004 molecular spectroscopic database, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Rad. Transfer, 96, 139–204, 2005.

Rusinek, E., Fichoux, H., Khelkhal, M., Herlemont, F., Legrand, J., and Fayt, A.: Subdoppler study of the $\nu _7$ band of C2H4 with a CO2 laser sideband spectrometer, J. Mol. Spec., 189, 64–73, 1998.

Sadourny, R. and Laval, K.: January and July performance of the LMD general circulation model, in: New Perspectives in Climate Modeling, edited by: Berger, A. L. and Nicolis, C., 173–197, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1984.

Sharpe, S. W., Johnson, T. J., Sams, R. L., Chu, P. M., Rhoderick, G. C., and Johnson, P. A.: Gas-phase databases for quantitative infrared spectroscopy, Appl. Spectrosc., 58, 1452–1461, 2004.

Trentmann, J., Yokelson, R. J., Hobbs, P. V., Winterrath, T., Christian, T. J., Andreae, M. O., and Mason, S. A.: An analysis of the chemical processes in the smoke plume from a savanna fire, J. Geophys. Res., 110, D12301, doi:10.1029/2004JD005628, 2005. %

%Turquety, S., Clerbaux, C., Law, K., Pham, M., Hauglustaine, D. A., and %Coheur, P. F.: Long range transport of CO from Asia using the complementary %information provided by nadir and solar occultation measurements from space, %in preparation\blackbox\bf status?, 2007.

van der Werf, G. R., Randerson, J. T., Giglio, L., Collatz, G. J., Kasibhatla, P. S., and Arellano, A. F.: Interannual variability in global biomass burning emissions from 1997 to 2004, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 3423–3441, 2006.

Waters, J. W., Froidevaux, L., Harwood, R. S., Jarnot, R. F., Pickett, H. M., Read, W. G., Siegel, P. H., Cofield, R. E., Filipiak, M. J., Flower, D. A., Holden, J. R., Lau, G. K., Livesey, N. J., Manney, G. L., Pumphrey, H. C., Santee, M. L., Wu, D. L., Cuddy, D. T., Lay, R. R., Loo, M. S., Perun, V. S., Schwartz, M. J., Stek, P. C., Thurstans, R. P., Boyles, M. A., Chandra, K. M., Chavez, M. C., Chen, G. S., Chudasama, B. V., Dodge, R., Fuller, R. A., Girard, M. A., Jiang, J. H., Jiang, Y. B., Knosp, B. W., LaBelle, R. C., Lam, J. C., Lee, K. A., Miller, D., Oswald, J. E., Patel, N. C., Pukala, D. M., Quintero, O., Scaff, D. M., Van Snyder, W., Tope, M. C., Wagner, P. A., and Walch, M. J.: The Earth Observing System Microwave Limb Sounder (EOS MLS) on the Aura satellite, Ieee Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 44, 1075–1092, 2006.

Wittrock, F., Richter, A., Oetjen, H., Burrows, J. P., Kanakidou, M., Myriokefalitakis, S., Volkamer, R., Beirle, S., Platt, U., and Wagner, T.: Simultaneous global observations of glyoxal and formaldehyde from space, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L16804, doi:10.1029/2006GL026310, 2006.

Yokelson, R. J., Bertschi, I. T., Christian, T. J., Hobbs, P. V., Ward, D. E., and Hao, W. M.: Trace gas measurements in nascent, aged, and cloud-processed smoke from African savanna fires by airborne Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (AFTIR), J. Geophys. Res., 108, 8478, doi:10.1029/2002JD002322, 2003.