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Observations of Southeast Asian Biomass Burning and Urban Trace Gas Enhancement Ratios: Insights into Regional Air Quality and Aerosol Composition
  • +11
  • Joshua DiGangi,
  • Glenn Diskin,
  • Subin Yoon,
  • Sergio Alvarez,
  • James Flynn,
  • Claire Robinson,
  • Michael Shook,
  • Kenneth Thornhill,
  • Edward Winstead,
  • Luke Ziemba,
  • Maria Obiminda Cambaliza,
  • James Simpas,
  • Miguel Ricardo Hilario,
  • Armin Sorooshian
Joshua DiGangi
NASA Langley Research Center

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Glenn Diskin
NASA Langley Research Ctr
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Subin Yoon
Baylor University
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Sergio Alvarez
University of Houston
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James Flynn
University of Houston
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Claire Robinson
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
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Michael Shook
NASA Langley Research Center
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Kenneth Thornhill
NASA Langley Research Center
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Edward Winstead
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
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Luke Ziemba
NASA Langley Research Center
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Maria Obiminda Cambaliza
Ateneo de Manila University
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James Simpas
Manila Observatory
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Miguel Ricardo Hilario
University of Arizona
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Armin Sorooshian
University of Arizona
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Abstract

Southeast Asian biomass burning is a major pollutant source that contributes to poor air quality throughout the region. Thus, understanding these emissions is critical for predicting and mitigating their health impacts. While many studies have reported ground-based and satellite measurements, airborne measurements at a regional scale capable of tying the two together have not been common. The 2019 Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex) field project examined Southeast Asian regional sources and their effects on aerosol/cloud interactions using a combination of airborne, shipboard, and ground-based measurements. These flights sampled a variety of airmass sources over the Philippine, South China, and Sulu seas during both the southwest monsoon and monsoon transition periods. Measurements during CAMP2Ex provide a unique opportunity to investigate how these transported and local emissions affected air quality trends and airmass chemical composition. We present correlated airborne in situ enhancement ratios of CH4 to CO, using them to identify source regimes of either high urban or biomass burning influence as well as urban regimes with different emission factors. Combined with backtrajectory analysis using HYSPLIT, source regimes were examined for differences in ozone, reactive nitrogen, and aerosol chemical composition. While observed O3/CO enhancement ratios remain constant for differing urban source regimes, NOy/CO ratios varied across these regimes. For biomass burning sources, O3/CO enhancement ratios are observed to be lower than previously reported by measurements in the region.