2 research outputs found
Substantial Increases in Eastern Amazon and Cerrado Biomass BurningāSourced Tropospheric Ozone
The decline in Amazonian deforestation rates and biomass burning activity (2001ā2012) has been shown to reduce air pollutant emissions (e.g., aerosols) and improve regional air quality. However, in the Cerrado region (savannah grasslands in northeastern Brazil), satellite observations reveal increases in fire activity and tropospheric column nitrogen dioxide (an ozone precursor) during the burning season (AugustāOctober, 2005ā2016), which have partially offset these air quality benefits. Simulations from a 3āD global chemistry transport model (CTM) capture this increase in NO2 with a surface increase of ~1 ppbv per decade. As there are limited longāterm observational tropospheric ozone records, we utilize the wellāevaluated CTM to investigate changes in ozone. Here, the CTM suggests that Cerrado region surface ozone is increasing by ~10 ppbv per decade. If left unmitigated, these positive fireāsourced ozone trends will substantially increase the regional health risks and impacts from expected future enhancements in South American biomass burning activity under climate change