| NSF Org: |
AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 5, 2016 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | July 5, 2016 |
| Award Number: | 1637279 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Nicholas Anderson
nanderso@nsf.gov (703)292-4715 AGS Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2016 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2020 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $578,404.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $578,404.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
926 DALNEY ST NW ATLANTA GA US 30318-6395 (404)894-4819 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
225 North Avenue Atlanta GA US 30332-0002 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
Atmospheric Chemistry, Physical & Dynamic Meteorology |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
As solar radiation travels through the atmosphere it can interact with small particles known as aerosols. These particles can scatter and absorb solar radiation, which affects the amount of radiation that reaches the Earth's surface. Solar radiation interactions with aerosols can also affect the chemistry of the atmosphere, such as through the creation and destruction of ozone. To better improve understanding and modeling of these interactions, the research team will use data collected by research aircraft over the past two decades alongside numerical modeling to answer questions about how aerosols interact with solar radiation over a range of altitudes, solar angles, and geographic settings. The results of the project will help to improve climate models. Additional benefits will be the education and training of a graduate student and the development of a database that can be used by other researchers.
The research team will improve understanding of the impact of tropospheric aerosols on actinic fluxes and atmospheric composition by integrating and analyzing observed spectral actinic fluxes. The NCAR Charged-coupled devices Actinic Flux Spectroradiometer (CAFS) has flown on numerous field campaigns over the past two decades and the measurements from CAFS plus aerosol characterization measurements offers a unique opportunity to examine the impact of aerosols on photochemistry. The CAFS data, along with concurrent sub-orbital and satellite data, and modeling will be used to address the four main objectives: 1) Develop a new Aerosol Attenuated Actinic Flux (AAAF) database, 2) Perform an in-depth analysis of actinic fluxes in different aerosol-laden conditions, 3) Perform an analysis of the impact of smoke aerosol on the photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and the UV-direct radiative forcing, and 4) Develop recommendations for climate models.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Our project has examined smoke emissions and smoke impacts on atmospheric radiation. We analyzed biomass burning events that occurred in different geographical conditions, under different environmental and weather conditions. We use various models of different complexities to quantify the smoke emission and its transport and radiative impacts.
The radiative forcing of fire emissions plays a significant global role in both natural and anthropogenic climate perturbations, with large changes in radiative forcing of smoke emissions between preindustrial and present-day conditions. By interacting with the ultraviolet component of solar radiation, smoke affects the photolysis rates of major photochemically formed species, such as ozone. Furthermore, the smoke has a significant impact on the surface radiation budget, affects the profile of heating rates through the atmosphere, and alters the radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere. Smoke particles deposited on snow and ice can change snow reflectivity, which affects surface albedo, the radiation balance, and can result in rapid increases in snow and ice melting. Smoke from boreal (Canada, Alaska, Siberia) and lower latitude ecosystems can be transported northward, encircling the Earth, and deposited on snow- and ice-covered surfaces, which can heighten the presence of in-snow and atmospheric aerosol effects. The overall impact of smoke on radiative fields makes it an essential climatic agent, even though our understanding of the direct and indirect mechanisms, extent, and interacting effects on the radiation balance are not fully understood or accounted for in models.
We have analyzed many specific fire events, including fires that occurred in Canada, California , Central Asia, and southeast US. We have provided a synthesis of smoke research addressing the smoke emission and its chemical composition, smoke radiative effects, and smoke impacts on clouds and precipitation. A set of specific recommendations is provided to improve the research on smoke further. Two special issues organized by Prof. Sokolik will further the study of wildfire smoke. Given that there is ongoing climate warming, one might expect an increase in the frequency, extent, and severity of biomass burning events occurring worldwide
Last Modified: 02/10/2021
Modified by: Irina N Sokolik
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