Wildfire events present a rising frequency in recent years, especially in regions dominated by elevated temperatures, dry and windy conditions 1,2,3. During such events, the generated fire plume contains a mixture of gaseous and particulate species, driving the chemical processing during the initial and aging stage 4. The fate of fire chemical components is primarily determined by the type of combustion and the dominant chemical pathways. Emissions of harmful pollutants pose a threat to health, causing inflammation and adverse effects to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems 2. The fire emissions, and especially the particulate constituents, affect the total carbon budget and radiative forcing, leading into climate imbalances 3.
The project aims to distinguish the chemical pathways that drive in-plume chemistry considering the fire location and meteorological conditions. The dominant chemical regimes influencing aerosol formation are evaluated to determine the fate of the plume. Additionally, regional model simulations are used to examine future scenarios of wildfire events, evaluating their effect on future air quality. The potential identification of dominant chemical regimes under the investigated future scenarios constitutes an objective of the present project.
Figure: A simplified schematic representation of selected chemical processes occurring within a fire plume.
1. Tollefson, J. You’re not imaging it: extreme wildfires are now more common. Nature. (2024).
2. Reid, C. E. et al. Health impacts of wildfire smoke. Environ. Health Perspect. 124, 1334-1343 (2016).
3. Voulgarakis, A. & Field, R. D. Fire Influences on Atmospheric Composition, Air Quality and Climate. Curr. Pollut. Reports 1, 70-81 (2015).
4. Wang, S. et al. Chemical Topography in Fresh Wildland Fire Plume: A Large Eddy Simmulation (LES) Study. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 126, 1-21 (2021).
