Emission Factors for CO2, CO, CH4, and C2 - C4 Hydrocarbons from the 2011 Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia Fire

With a warming climate, increased dry conditions and drought periods are likely to result in higher fire activity in the wetlands of the eastern and southeastern US. Fires in this fuel type can smolder for months producing significant carbon release and major impacts on air quality. While a comprehensive set of emission factors has been established for most US fuel types, a less complete set is available for emissions where deep layers of organic matter can consume and smolder for days, weeks and months. Lightning started the Lateral West fire in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia on August 4, and it burned slowly through drought-stressed hardwood forest and dry peat soil. The fire produced dense plumes of smoke that mostly dispersed over the Atlantic Ocean, but also affected air quality as far away as Washington, D.C. Fire emissions were sampled August 26, 2011. The fire had burned 6,358 acres. and was smoldering along in the peat, with some brush still igniting. The average emission factors (EF) we measured from the sampling were 1441 g/kg CO2, 192 g/kg CO; and 16.5 g/kg CH4.. Modified combustion efficiency (MCE) was 0.83, produced by the small amount of flaming combustion mixed with smoldering combustion of the peat. The CO2 EF values are similar to those measured from smoldering duff in Alaska in 2003 (1436 g/kg), and the CO EF was lower than Alaska (244 g/kg CO), while the CH4 EF was much higher than Alaska (8.4 g/kg CH4). We will present our complete set of emission factors from the Great Dismal Swamp for CO2, CO, CH4, and C2 - C4 hydrocarbons, and contrast these results with other fuel types. Linear regressions of C1- C4 hydrocarbons vs. CO concentration will presented and compared with other emissions results.