RAPID: In Situ Measurements of Australian Bushfire Smoke in the Stratosphere

在这个快速项目中，两名专业研究员建议在新西兰和哥斯达黎加进行实地观测，以确定澳大利亚最近发生的大规模野火中夹带到平流层的烟雾颗粒的物理和化学特性。新的知识将告知大气化学家和建模者关于这些粒子的潜在加热效应以及它们对平流层臭氧的反应性。研究结果将对预测气候和由强烈野火引起的臭氧层变化的能力产生直接影响。澳大利亚野火产生的烟雾已经到达平流层，其中含有棕色和黑色碳颗粒的影响尚不清楚。为了更好地了解它们的原位辐射效应和化学反应性，PI团队建议部署来自新西兰Lauder和哥斯达黎加圣胡安的气球飞行，这些气球配备了颗粒尺寸和计数仪器以及过滤器采样装置。将使用扫描和透射电子显微镜（SEM/TEM）离线分析过滤器和特定基材，以确定形态并获得一些化学信息，包括炭黑含量。这项工作的结果将增进对烟雾夹带进入平流层的程度以及对辐射收支和臭氧层的相关影响的了解。此外，该项目还可以为其他正在进行的/未来的项目提供信息，包括冬季极地涡旋中极地平流层云和流星烟雾的研究，以及现场烟雾测量与卫星观测的比较。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

In this RAPID project, two PIs propose to conduct field observations in New Zealand and Costa Rica to determine physical and chemical properties of smoke particles that were entrained into the stratosphere during recent large wildfires in Australia. New knowledge will inform atmospheric chemists and modelers about the potential heating effect of these particles as well as their reactivity toward stratospheric ozone. Results will have direct implications on the ability to predict climate and changes in the ozone layer that are driven by intense wildfires.Smoke from wildfires in Australia have reached the stratosphere where the effect of associated brown and black carbon containing particles is unknown. To better understand their in-situ radiative effect and chemical reactivity, the PI team proposes to deploy balloon flights from Lauder, New Zealand, and San Juan, Costa Rica, that are equipped with particle sizing and counting instruments as well as filter sampling devices. Filters and specific substrates will be analyzed off-line with scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) to determine morphology and obtain some chemical information including the black carbon content. Results from this work will advance knowledge of the extent of smoke entrainment into the stratosphere and associated effects on the radiative budget and ozone layer. In addition, the project may inform other ongoing/future projects including the study of polar stratospheric clouds and meteoric smoke in the winter time polar vortex, and a comparison of in-situ smoke measurements with satellite observations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.