Satellite boreal measurements over Alaska and Canada during June-July 2004: Simultaneous measurements of upper tropospheric CO, C2H6, HCN, CH3Cl, CH4, C2H2, CH3OH, HCOOH, OCS, and SF6 mixing ratios

• Published in: Global biogeochemical cycles 2007-09, Vol.21 (3), p.GB3008 1-n/a
• Main Authors: Rinsland, Curtis P., Dufour, Gaëlle, Boone, Chris D., Bernath, Peter F., Chiou, Linda, Coheur, Pierre-François, Turquety, Solène, Clerbaux, Cathy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics; Biological and medical sciences; boreal fires; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Geochemistry; Physics; remote sensing; Synecology; tropospheric chemistry
• ISSN: 0886-6236; 1944-9224; 1944-8224
• DOI: 10.1029/2006GB002795

Simultaneous ACE (Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment) upper tropospheric CO, C2H6, HCN, CH3Cl, CH4, C2H2, CH3OH, HCOOH, and OCS measurements show plumes up to 185 ppbv (10−9 per unit volume) for CO, 1.36 ppbv for C2H6, 755 pptv (10−12 per unit volume) for HCN, 1.12 ppbv for CH3Cl, 1.82 ppmv (10−6 per unit volume) for CH4, 0.178 ppbv for C2H2, 3.89 ppbv for CH3OH, 0.843 ppbv for HCOOH, and 0.48 ppbv for OCS in western Canada and Alaska at 50°N–68°N latitude between 29 June and 23 July 2004. Enhancement ratios and emission factors for HCOOH, CH3OH, HCN, C2H6, and OCS relative to CO at 250–350 hPa are inferred from measurements of young plumes compared with lower mixing ratios assumed to represent background conditions based on a CO emission factor derived from boreal measurements. Results are generally consistent with the limited data reported for various vegetative types and emission phases measured in extratropical forests including boreal forests. The low correlation between fire product emission mixing ratios and the SF6 mixing ratio is consistent with no significant SF6 emissions from the biomass fires.