Regional Haze from Forest Fires and San Joaquin Valley Pollution: Aerosol Properties at Yosemite National Park
Abstract
The impact of forest fire smoke on air quality and visibility in national parks is a growing concern, particularly in light of EPA's new Regional Haze rule. The summer of 2002 proved to be a very active year for wildfires in the western U.S. with double the average acres burned. To improve understanding of smoke aerosols, an intensive campaign to measure aerosol chemical, physical, optical, and in particular hygroscopic properties, was conducted in Yosemite National Park in July-September 2002. High time resolution chemical measurements allowed speciation of major ions and carbon with 15 and 60 minute time resolution, respectively. Preliminary results show a predominant contribution of organic carbon with concentrations ranging from ~5-15 μgm-3 while major ions were dominated by sulfate, nitrate and ammonium and totaled approximately 2 μgm-3. Carbon isotopic analysis showed that during the haziest periods most carbon had a biogenic source. Soluble potassium and UV light absorption were observed to be useful indicators of smoke impact. During smoky periods, dry light scattering coefficients ranged from roughly 50-200 Mm-1, comparable to the most polluted US cities. Measurements using light scattering and diameter growth techniques both showed limited aerosol hygroscopicity. Diameter and light scattering growth factors ranged from roughly 1.05-1.2 and 1.1-1.5, respectively, at RH = 80%. Measurements of the aerosol dry size distribution during hazy periods showed a mode in the optically efficient size of several hundred nm in addition to a typical number concentration mode around 100 nm. In general, the aerosol properties at Yosemite were observed to have strong influences from smoke likely transported from massive regional wildfires as well as pollution likely from agricultural and population centers of Central California.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002AGUFM.A22C0124C
- Keywords:
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- 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345;
- 4801);
- 0345 Pollution: urban and regional (0305);
- 0394 Instruments and techniques;
- 4801 Aerosols (0305)