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Biomass burning emissions over northern Australia constrained by aerosol measurements: II-Model validation, and impacts on air quality and radiative forcing

Luhar, Ashok K., Mitchell, Ross M., Meyer, C.P. (Mick), Qin, Y., Campbell, Susan, Gras, John L. and Parry, David L. (2008). Biomass burning emissions over northern Australia constrained by aerosol measurements: II-Model validation, and impacts on air quality and radiative forcing. Atmospheric Environment,42(7):1647-1664.

Document type: Journal Article
Citation counts: Scopus Citation Count Cited 16 times in Scopus Article | Citations

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Title Biomass burning emissions over northern Australia constrained by aerosol measurements: II-Model validation, and impacts on air quality and radiative forcing
Author Luhar, Ashok K.
Mitchell, Ross M.
Meyer, C.P. (Mick)
Qin, Y.
Campbell, Susan
Gras, John L.
Parry, David L.
Journal Name Atmospheric Environment
Publication Date 2008
Volume Number 42
Issue Number 7
ISSN 1352-2310   (check CDU catalogue  open catalogue search in new window)
Scopus ID 2-s2.0-39149138977
Start Page 1647
End Page 1664
Total Pages 18
Place of Publication United Kingdom
Publisher Pergamon Press
Field of Research 260600 Atmospheric Sciences
Abstract This two-part series investigates the emission and transport of biomass burning aerosol (or particulate matter) across the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia. In Part I, Meyer et al. [2008. Biomass burning emissions over northern Australia constrained by aerosol measurements: I-Modelling the distribution of hourly emissions. Atmospheric Environment, in press, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.10.089.] used a fuel load distribution coupled with a satellite-derived imagery of fire scars and hotspots and the diurnal variation of a fire danger index to estimate hourly emission rates of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) for the dry season April-November 2004 at a spatial resolution of 1 km×1 km. In the present paper, these emission rates are used in TAPM, a three-dimensional meteorological and air pollution model, and the modelled PM2.5 concentrations and aerosol optical depths are compared with satellite and ground-based measurements. This exercise also seeks to fine-tune and validate the emission calculation methodology, a process through which it is found that cases with hotspots without any corresponding fire scars (e.g. in mountainous terrain), which were initially ignored, need to be included to improve the accuracy of model predictions. Overall, the model is able to describe the measurements satisfactorily, considering the issues associated with the model resolution, emission uncertainty, and modelled meteorology. The model hindcasts numerous exceedences of the advisory maximum PM2.5 exposure limit across the study region, with large areas in excess of 30 exceedences during the study period. Estimated mean top of atmosphere direct radiative forcing due to aerosol shows a seasonal mean of -1.8 W m-2 with a region of strong enhancement over the western portion of the Top End. Crown Copyright
Keywords Aerosol optical depth
Air quality in Northern Territory
Air quality modelling
Atmospheric radiative transfer
Bushfire emissions
MODIS data
Radiative forcing efficiency
TAPM
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.12.040   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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