- Author
-
Mazurek, M. A.
|
Cofer, W. R., III
|
Legvine, J. S.
- Title
- Carbonaceous Aerosols From Prescribed Burning of a Boreal Forest Ecosystem.
- Coporate
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
- Sponsor
- Department of Energy, Washington, DC
- Report
-
RNL-43546
October 1990
22 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- DE-AC02-76CH00016
- Book or Conf
- Chapman Conference on Global Biomass Burning: Atmospheric, Climate, and Biospheric Implications. March 19-23, 1990,
Williamsburg, VA,
1990
- Keywords
-
aerosols
|
forest fires
|
ecology
|
smoldering
|
helicopters
|
sampling
|
carbon
- Abstract
- The identity and ambient mass concentrations of radiatively important carbonaceous aerosols were measured for a boreal forest prescribed burn conducted in northern Ontario, CAN in August 1989. Nonsize-segregated airborne particles were collected for smoldering fire and full-fire conditions using a helicopter sampling platform. Total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were measured. Smoke plume mass concentrations of the OC and EC particles were greatest for full-fire conditions and had ranges of 1.560 to 2.160 mg/m-1 (OC) and 0.120 to 0.160 mg/m-3 (EC) with OC:EC ratios of 10 to 18, respectively. Smoldering fire conditions showed smoke plume OC and EC levels of 0.570-1.030 mg/m-3 (OC) and 0.006-0.050 mg/m-3 (EC0 and much higher ratios of OC:EC (21 to 95). These aerosol data indicate the formation of EC particles is greatest during full-fire combustion of boreal forest material relative to smoldering combustion. However, EC particles comprise a minor fraction of the particulate carbon smoke aerosols for both full-fire and smoldering conditions; the major component of carbonaceous smoke aerosols emitted during the prescribed burn is OC. Overall, the OC and EC in-plume smoke aerosol data show nonuniform production of these particles during various stages of the prescribed burn, and major differences in the type of carbonaceous aerosol that is generated (OC versus EC).