Biomass burning emissions in north Australia during the early dry season: an overview of the 2014 SAFIRED campaign

M. D. Mallet; M. J. Desservettaz; B. Miljevic; A. Milic; Z. D. Ristovski; J. Alroe; L. T. Cravigan; E. R. Jayaratne; C. Paton-Walsh; D. W. T. Griffith; S. R. Wilson; G. Kettlewell; M. V. van der Schoot; P. Selleck; F. Reisen; S. J. Lawson; J. Ward; J. Harnwell; M. Cheng; R. W. Gillett; S. B. Molloy; D. Howard; P. F. Nelson; A. L. Morrison; G. C. Edwards; A. G. Williams; S. D. Chambers; S. Werczynski; L. R. Williams; V. H. L. Winton; V. H. L. Winton; B. Atkinson; X. Wang; M. D. Keywood

doi:10.5194/acp-17-13681-2017

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Nov 2017)

Biomass burning emissions in north Australia during the early dry season: an overview of the 2014 SAFIRED campaign

M. D. Mallet,
M. J. Desservettaz,
B. Miljevic,
A. Milic,
Z. D. Ristovski,
J. Alroe,
L. T. Cravigan,
E. R. Jayaratne,
C. Paton-Walsh,
D. W. T. Griffith,
S. R. Wilson,
G. Kettlewell,
M. V. van der Schoot,
P. Selleck,
F. Reisen,
S. J. Lawson,
J. Ward,
J. Harnwell,
M. Cheng,
R. W. Gillett,
S. B. Molloy,
D. Howard,
P. F. Nelson,
A. L. Morrison,
G. C. Edwards,
A. G. Williams,
S. D. Chambers,
S. Werczynski,
L. R. Williams,
V. H. L. Winton,
V. H. L. Winton,
B. Atkinson,
X. Wang,
M. D. Keywood

Affiliations

M. D. Mallet: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
M. J. Desservettaz: Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
B. Miljevic: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
A. Milic: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
Z. D. Ristovski: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
J. Alroe: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
L. T. Cravigan: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
E. R. Jayaratne: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
C. Paton-Walsh: Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
D. W. T. Griffith: Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
S. R. Wilson: Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
G. Kettlewell: Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia
M. V. van der Schoot: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
P. Selleck: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
F. Reisen: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
S. J. Lawson: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
J. Ward: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
J. Harnwell: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
M. Cheng: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
R. W. Gillett: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
S. B. Molloy: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia
D. Howard: Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
P. F. Nelson: Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
A. L. Morrison: Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
G. C. Edwards: Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
A. G. Williams: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney, New South Wales, 2232, Australia
S. D. Chambers: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney, New South Wales, 2232, Australia
S. Werczynski: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney, New South Wales, 2232, Australia
L. R. Williams: Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts, 01821, USA
V. H. L. Winton: Physics and Astronomy, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia
V. H. L. Winton: now at: the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK
B. Atkinson: Bureau of Meteorology, Darwin, Northern Territory, 0810, Australia
X. Wang: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Queensland, 4108, Australia
M. D. Keywood: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Aspendale, Victoria, 3195, Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-13681-2017
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 17
pp. 13681 – 13697

Abstract

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The SAFIRED (Savannah Fires in the Early Dry Season) campaign took place from 29 May until 30 June 2014 at the Australian Tropical Atmospheric Research Station (ATARS) in the Northern Territory, Australia. The purpose of this campaign was to investigate emissions from fires in the early dry season in northern Australia. Measurements were made of biomass burning aerosols, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic carbons, greenhouse gases, radon, speciated atmospheric mercury and trace metals. Aspects of the biomass burning aerosol emissions investigated included; emission factors of various species, physical and chemical aerosol properties, aerosol aging, micronutrient supply to the ocean, nucleation, and aerosol water uptake. Over the course of the month-long campaign, biomass burning signals were prevalent and emissions from several large single burning events were observed at ATARS.Biomass burning emissions dominated the gas and aerosol concentrations in this region. Dry season fires are extremely frequent and widespread across the northern region of Australia, which suggests that the measured aerosol and gaseous emissions at ATARS are likely representative of signals across the entire region of north Australia. Air mass forward trajectories show that these biomass burning emissions are carried north-west over the Timor Sea and could influence the atmosphere over Indonesia and the tropical atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. Here we present characteristics of the biomass burning observed at the sampling site and provide an overview of the more specific outcomes of the SAFIRED campaign.

Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ISSN: 1680-7316 (Print); 1680-7324 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Physics; Science: Chemistry
Website: http://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/

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