Person:

Jacob, Daniel

We develop a daily-resolved global emission inventory for biomass burning using AVHRR satellite observations of fire activity corrected for data gaps and scan angle biases. We implemented this inventory in a global three-dimensional model (GEOS-CHEM) to simulate aircraft CO observations during the TRACE-P mission over the NW Pacific in February–April 2001. Seasonal biomass burning in SE Asia was a major contributor to the outflow of Asian pollution observed in TRACE-P and shows large day-to-day fluctuations that vary depending on location. Three simulations were conducted with the same 3-month total (February–April) emissions but different temporal distributions: 2001 daily resolved, 2001 monthly resolved, and climatological monthly resolved. The effect of daily resolved versus monthly resolved 2001 emissions in the simulation of CO is less than 8 ppbv in Asian outflow over the NW Pacific but can exceed 100 ppbv over source regions. The relatively small effect in Asian outflow reflects spatial and temporal averaging of emissions during ageing in the continental boundary layer. Significant improvement in the simulation of TRACE-P observations (as diagnosed by the resolved variance) is found when using 2001 monthly versus climatological monthly emissions, but using 2001 daily emissions does not offer further improvement.

We examine the transatlantic transport of anthropogenic ozone and its impact on surface ozone in Europe and North America by using a 5-year (1993–1997) simulation with the GEOS-CHEM global three-dimensional model of tropospheric chemistry. Long-term time series of ozone and CO at Mace Head (Ireland) and Sable Island (Canada) are used to evaluate transatlantic transport in the model. North American anthropogenic emissions contribute on average 5 ppbv to surface ozone at Mace Head, and up to 10–20 ppbv during transatlantic transport events, which are forerunners of broader events in Europe. These events are associated with low-level westerly flow driven by an intense Icelandic low between Iceland and the British Isles. North American influence on ozone at Mace Head is strongly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), implying that the NAO index can be used to forecast transatlantic transport of North American pollution to Europe. European anthropogenic emissions contribute on average less than 2 ppbv to surface ozone at Sable Island but up to 5–10 ppbv during transatlantic transport events. These events are associated with low-level easterly flow established by anomalous low pressure at 45°N over the North Atlantic. North American anthropogenic emissions enhance surface ozone in continental Europe by 2–4 ppbv on average in summer and by 5–10 ppbv during transatlantic transport events; transport in the boundary layer and subsidence from the free troposphere are both important mechanisms. We find in the model that 20% of the violations of the European Council ozone standard (55 ppbv, 8-hour average) in the summer of 1997 over Europe would not have occurred in the absence of anthropogenic emissions from North America. North American influence on surface ozone in Europe is particularly strong at the thresholds used for the European standards (55–65 ppbv).