Evaluation of the Impact of Aged Biomass Burning Emissions on the Global Ozone From the Surface to the Lower Stratosphere
Yao Guo, Kai Qie, Yifeng Peng, Jiawei Huang, IIann Bourgeois, Jeff Peischl, Chelsea Thompson, Karen H. Rosenlof, Junwen Liu, Zhijiong Huang, Bin Yuan, Xuemei Wang, Min Shao, Pengfei YuAbstract
Biomass burning (BB) is a major global sources of ozone (O 3 ) precursors, including nitrogen oxides (NO x ), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here, we combine Community Earth System Model 1 with airborne measurements from the NASA Atmospheric Tomography mission conducted during 2016–2018 to assess the global impact of aged BB emissions on O 3 from the surface to the lower stratosphere. The model captures the broad spatial distribution of BB‐related tracers and O 3 in the Atlantic, but it significantly underestimates BB‐related aerosol concentrations by an order of magnitude above 3 km in the tropical and Northern Hemispheric Pacific, leading to an underestimation of BB‐induced O 3 concentrations. In the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere over the tropical Atlantic, BB‐induced O 3 enhancements are most pronounced during August to November, with peak values reaching up to 30 ppbv in October. These enhancements are primarily driven by the oxidation of BB‐emitted VOCs and CO, followed by the photolysis of the NO 2 . The Asian summer monsoon circulation plays a crucial role in lofting these precursors into higher altitudes, where NO x is converted into its reservoir form, peroxyacetyl nitrate. These findings demonstrate BB's extensive vertical and horizontal influence on atmospheric O 3 , underscoring the importance of accurately representing BB processes in climate and air quality models to better assess their impacts on global air pollution and climate change.