Projects per year
Abstract
Air parcels with mixing ratios of high O 3 and low H 2O (HOLW) are common features in the tropical western Pacific (TWP) mid-troposphere (300-700 hPa). Here, using data collected during aircraft sampling of the TWP in winter 2014, we find strong, positive correlations of O 3 with multiple biomass burning tracers in these HOLW structures. Ozone levels in these structures are about a factor of three larger than background. Models, satellite data and aircraft observations are used to show fires in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia are the dominant source of high O 3 and that low H 2O results from large-scale descent within the tropical troposphere. Previous explanations that attribute HOLW structures to transport from the stratosphere or mid-latitude troposphere are inconsistent with our observations. This study suggest a larger role for biomass burning in the radiative forcing of climate in the remote TWP than is commonly appreciated.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 10267 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 13 Jan 2016 |
Bibliographical note
Supplementary information available for this article at http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160113/ncomms10267/suppinfo/ncomms10267_S1.html This content is made available by the publisher under a Creative Commons CC BY LicenceProfiles
Projects
- 1 Finished
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Co-ordinated Airbourne Studies in the Tropics (CAST)
Carpenter, L. J., Evans, M. J. & Lee, J. D.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL
31/08/12 → 30/08/16
Project: Research project (funded) › Research