Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissions
<p>Forest wildfires in interior Alaska represent an important black carbon (BC) source for the Arctic and sub-Arctic. However, BC observations in interior Alaska have not been sufficient to constrain the range of existing emissions. Here, we show our observations of BC mass concentrations and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/143/2025/acp-25-143-2025.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841555377522475008 |
|---|---|
| author | T. Kinase F. Taketani F. Taketani M. Takigawa C. Zhu Y. Kim P. Mordovskoi Y. Kanaya Y. Kanaya |
| author_facet | T. Kinase F. Taketani F. Taketani M. Takigawa C. Zhu Y. Kim P. Mordovskoi Y. Kanaya Y. Kanaya |
| author_sort | T. Kinase |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Forest wildfires in interior Alaska represent an important black carbon (BC) source for the Arctic and sub-Arctic. However, BC observations in interior Alaska have not been sufficient to constrain the range of existing emissions. Here, we show our observations of BC mass concentrations and carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratios in the Poker Flat Research Range (65.12° N, 147.43° W), located in central Alaska, from April 2016 to December 2020. The medians, 10th percentile ranges, and 90th percentile ranges of the hourly BC mass concentration and CO mixing ratio throughout the observation period were 13, 2.9, and 56 ng m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span> and 124.7, 98.7, and 148.3 ppb, respectively. Sporadically large peaks in the BC mass concentration and CO mixing ratio were observed at the same time, indicating influences from common sources. These BC peaks coincided with peaks at other comparative sites in Alaska, indicating large BC emissions in interior Alaska. Source estimation by FLEXPART-WRF (Flexible Particle Dispersion–Weather Research and Forecast) confirmed a contribution of boreal forest wildfires in Alaska and western Canada when high BC mass concentrations were observed. For these cases, we found a positive correlation (<span class="inline-formula"><i>r</i>=0.44</span>) between the observed BC/<span class="inline-formula">Δ</span>CO ratio and fire radiative power (FRP) observed in Alaska and Canada. This finding implies that the variability of the BC and CO emission ratio is associated with the intensity and time progress of forest wildfires and suggests that the BC emission factor and/or inventory could be potentially improved by FRP. We recommend that FRP be integrated into future bottom-up emission inventories to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics of pollutants from frequently occurring forest wildfires under the rapidly changing climate in the Arctic.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3bc19d9b89ff4bf9aae8fcf36cac34b4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-3bc19d9b89ff4bf9aae8fcf36cac34b42025-01-08T05:33:26ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-01-012514315610.5194/acp-25-143-2025Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissionsT. Kinase0F. Taketani1F. Taketani2M. Takigawa3C. Zhu4Y. Kim5P. Mordovskoi6Y. Kanaya7Y. Kanaya8Institute of Arctic Climate and Environment Research, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, JapanInstitute of Arctic Climate and Environment Research, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, JapanEarth Surface System Research Center, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, JapanInstitute of Arctic Climate and Environment Research, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, JapanEarth Surface System Research Center, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, JapanInternational Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Fairbanks, AK 99775-7340, USAInstitute of Arctic Climate and Environment Research, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, JapanInstitute of Arctic Climate and Environment Research, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, JapanEarth Surface System Research Center, Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama 2360001, Japan<p>Forest wildfires in interior Alaska represent an important black carbon (BC) source for the Arctic and sub-Arctic. However, BC observations in interior Alaska have not been sufficient to constrain the range of existing emissions. Here, we show our observations of BC mass concentrations and carbon monoxide (CO) mixing ratios in the Poker Flat Research Range (65.12° N, 147.43° W), located in central Alaska, from April 2016 to December 2020. The medians, 10th percentile ranges, and 90th percentile ranges of the hourly BC mass concentration and CO mixing ratio throughout the observation period were 13, 2.9, and 56 ng m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span> and 124.7, 98.7, and 148.3 ppb, respectively. Sporadically large peaks in the BC mass concentration and CO mixing ratio were observed at the same time, indicating influences from common sources. These BC peaks coincided with peaks at other comparative sites in Alaska, indicating large BC emissions in interior Alaska. Source estimation by FLEXPART-WRF (Flexible Particle Dispersion–Weather Research and Forecast) confirmed a contribution of boreal forest wildfires in Alaska and western Canada when high BC mass concentrations were observed. For these cases, we found a positive correlation (<span class="inline-formula"><i>r</i>=0.44</span>) between the observed BC/<span class="inline-formula">Δ</span>CO ratio and fire radiative power (FRP) observed in Alaska and Canada. This finding implies that the variability of the BC and CO emission ratio is associated with the intensity and time progress of forest wildfires and suggests that the BC emission factor and/or inventory could be potentially improved by FRP. We recommend that FRP be integrated into future bottom-up emission inventories to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics of pollutants from frequently occurring forest wildfires under the rapidly changing climate in the Arctic.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/143/2025/acp-25-143-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | T. Kinase F. Taketani F. Taketani M. Takigawa C. Zhu Y. Kim P. Mordovskoi Y. Kanaya Y. Kanaya Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissions Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissions |
| title_full | Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissions |
| title_fullStr | Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissions |
| title_short | Long-term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the Poker Flat Research Range, central Alaska, with a focus on forest wildfire emissions |
| title_sort | long term observations of black carbon and carbon monoxide in the poker flat research range central alaska with a focus on forest wildfire emissions |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/143/2025/acp-25-143-2025.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tkinase longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT ftaketani longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT ftaketani longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT mtakigawa longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT czhu longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT ykim longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT pmordovskoi longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT ykanaya longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions AT ykanaya longtermobservationsofblackcarbonandcarbonmonoxideinthepokerflatresearchrangecentralalaskawithafocusonforestwildfireemissions |