Wildfire Smoke Destroys Stratospheric Ozone

Bernath, Peter F.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116504 Copy

Description

Title

Wildfire Smoke Destroys Stratospheric Ozone

Author(s)

Bernath, Peter F.

Contributor(s)

• Crouse, Jeff
• Boone, Chris

Issue Date

2022-06-24

Keyword(s)

Atmospheric science

Abstract

Large wildfires inject smoke and biomass burning products into the midlatitude stratosphere where they destroy ozone, which protects us from ultraviolet radiation. The infrared spectrometer on the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) satellite has measured the spectra of smoke particles from the Black Summer Australian fires in late 2019 /early 2020, demonstrating that they contain oxygenated organic functional groups and water adsorption on the surfaces. The injected smoke particles produce unexpected and extreme perturbations in stratospheric gases beyond any seen in the previous 15 years of measurements: increases in formaldehyde, chlorine nitrate, chlorine monoxide and hypochlorous acid, and decreases in ozone, nitrogen dioxide and hydrochloric acid. These perturbations in stratospheric composition have the potential to affect ozone chemistry in unexpected ways.

Publisher

International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116504&&

DOI

https://doi.org/10.15278/isms.2022.FC03

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 held by the authors

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