Collaborative Research: Measurement and Modeling of Brown Carbon (BrC) from Boreal Forest Wildfires in Alaska

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This project is focused on characterizing the emissions, optical properties and radiative impacts of brown carbon (BrC) from biomass burning in the Arctic. The hypothesis is that BrC in the Arctic is different because boreal forest fires tend to be smoldering due to the large consumption of below-ground biomass, and the photochemical processing of aerosol in the Arctic is slower due to the strong UV absorption by stratospheric ozone (longer light path). The improved understanding of the properties of BrC found in the Arctic will enable chemical transport modeling to better assess the direct radiative effects of BrC from boreal forest fires.The research will focus on three topics: (1) the emissions and optical properties of BrC from boreal forest fires; (2) the emissions and physical properties of organic aerosol and black carbon in the Arctic; and (3) the influence of Arctic biomass burning on the radiative budget at the surface. The project includes both a measurement and a modeling component. Data collected in this project data will be compared with that from two long-term monitoring networks with sites in the Arctic, the IMPROVE network and the Chemical Speciation Network. The results of the project will be shared with the Alaska Fire Science Consortium, based at University of Alaska Fairbanks, to help disseminate the results to the interagency fire management community in the state.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.