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Measuring Physical, Chemical, and Optical Properties of Wildfire Aerosols Using Advanced Instrumentation Toward Improving Their Representation in Atmospheric Models


EMSL Project ID
50795

Abstract

We propose an integrated experimental and modeling study of biomass burning aerosol rich in spherical particles - also known as "tar balls" - using the multi-modal micro-spectroscopy, advanced mass spectrometry, and high performance computing platforms available at EMSL. Biomass burning aerosol from wildfires is one of the largest sources of organic aerosol particles in the atmosphere and are transported over long distances with variable extents of aging. Biomass burning aerosol significantly impacts the Earth's climate by scattering and absorbing solar radiation and by interacting with clouds through different processes that depend on the mixing state, the morphology, and the molecular characteristics of aerosol.

To improve the understanding of the impacts of wildfire aerosol on the environment, we propose to perform a detailed physicochemical characterization of biomass burning aerosol particles sampled during the wildfire events in the Pacific Northwest in 2017 and 2018. Ancillary real-time aerosol measurements (miniSPLAT, AMS, size distribution) were also performed. We will apply unique multi-modal micro-spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques for physicochemical and molecular characterization. Computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (CCSEM/EDX) spectroscopy will be used to investigate the morphology and elemental composition of individual particles and determine the size resolved chemical composition. We will also use high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and TEM with electron energy-loss spectroscopy (STEM/EELS) to investigate their internal structure and chemical bonding.

The proposed combination of individual particle analyses with chemical imaging and optical properties, detailed molecular composition of wildfire dominant ambient aerosol, single-particle volatility measurements, ice nucleation efficiencies, and regional and global model representations will provide a solid foundation for urgently needed predictions of the radiative impact of wildfire aerosol on regional and global climate.

Project Details

Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2019-10-01
End Date
2021-12-31
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Lynn Mazzoleni
Institution
Michigan Technological University

Co-Investigator(s)

ManishKumar Shrivastava
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Team Members

Jie Zhang
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Himanshu Sharma
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Fnu Quazi Ziaur Rasool
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Nurun Nahar Lata
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Amna Ijaz
Institution
Michigan Technological University

Brian Gaudet
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Related Publications

Brian Gaudet, Alex Guenther, Ying Liu, Scot T. Martin, Mega Octaviani, Ulrich Pöschl, Quazi Z. Rasool, Johannes Schneider, Christiane Schulz, John E. Shilling, Manish Shrivastava, Rodrigo F. Souza, Manfred Wendisch, Jianhuai Ye, Rahul A. Zaveri, Alla Zelenyuk, Bin Zhao, Martin Zöger. 2022. "Tight Coupling of Surface and In-Plant Biochemistry and Convection Governs Key Fine Particulate Components over the Amazon Rainforest." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00356
Brian Gaudet, Ying Liu, Mega Octaviani, Quazi Z. Rasool, Manish Shrivastava, Bin Zhao. 2021. "Modeling Volatility-Based Aerosol Phase State Predictions in the Amazon Rainforest." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 5 (10):2910-2924. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00255