Vanessa Selimovic
A5010313313- Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Vehicle emissions and performance
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
- Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting
- Fire dynamics and safety research
- Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Thermochemical Biomass Conversion Processes
- Fire Detection and Safety Systems
- Odor and Emission Control Technologies
- Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry
- Smart Materials for Construction
- Catalytic Processes in Materials Science
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Municipal Solid Waste Management
- Spectroscopy and Laser Applications
- Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
- Advanced Aircraft Design and Technologies
- Risk and Safety Analysis
- Catalysis and Hydrodesulfurization Studies
- Climate change and permafrost
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
University of Montana
2016-2025
University of Michigan
2023-2025
Concordia University
2016
Abstract. Volatile and intermediate-volatility non-methane organic gases (NMOGs) released from biomass burning were measured during laboratory-simulated wildfires by proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF). We identified NMOG contributors to more than 150 PTR ion masses using gas chromatography (GC) pre-separation with electron ionization, H3O+ chemical NO+ an extensive literature review, time series correlation, providing higher certainty for identifications has...
Abstract Wildfires emit significant amounts of pollutants that degrade air quality. Plumes from three wildfires in the western U.S. were measured aircraft during Studies Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC 4 RS) Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP), both summer 2013. This study reports an extensive set emission factors (EFs) for over 80 gases 5 components submicron particulate matter (PM 1 ) these temperate wildfires. These include...
Abstract. The light-absorbing organic aerosol (OA) commonly referred to as “brown carbon” (BrC) has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of its potential affect atmospheric radiation balance, especially the ultraviolet region and thus impact photochemical processes. A growing amount data indicated that BrC is prevalent atmosphere, which motivated numerous laboratory field studies; however, our understanding relationship between chemical composition optical properties...
Abstract. To better understand the effects of wildfires on air quality and climate, it is important to assess occurrence chromophoric compounds in smoke characterize their optical properties. This study explores molecular composition light-absorbing organic aerosol, or brown carbon (BrC), sampled at Missoula Fire Sciences laboratory as a part FIREX Fall 2016 lab intensive. A total 12 biomass fuels from different plant types were tested, including gymnosperm (coniferous) angiosperm...
Abstract. Biomass burning is a large source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and many other trace species to the atmosphere, which can act as precursors secondary pollutants such ozone fine particles. Measurements performed with proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer during FIREX 2016 laboratory intensive were analyzed positive matrix factorization (PMF), in order understand instantaneous variability VOC emissions from biomass burning, simplify description these types...
Abstract. Chamber oxidation experiments conducted at the Fire Sciences Laboratory in 2016 are evaluated to identify important chemical processes contributing hydroxy radical (OH) chemistry of biomass burning non-methane organic gases (NMOGs). Based on decay primary carbon measured by proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS), it is confirmed that furans and oxygenated aromatics among NMOGs emitted from western United States fuel types with highest reactivities...
Wildfires are a substantial but poorly quantified source of tropospheric ozone (O3). Here, to investigate the highly variable O3 chemistry in wildfire plumes, we exploit situ chemical characterization western wildfires during FIREX-AQ flight campaign and show that production can be predicted as function experimentally constrained OH exposure, volatile organic compound (VOC) reactivity, fate peroxy radicals. The exhibits rapid transition regimes. Within few daylight hours, formation...
Abstract We present emission measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for western U.S. wildland fires made on the NSF/NCAR C‐130 research aircraft during Western Wildfire Experiment Cloud Chemistry, Aerosol Absorption, and Nitrogen (WE‐CAN) field campaign in summer 2018. VOCs were measured with complementary instruments onboard C‐130, including a proton‐transfer‐reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (PTR‐ToF‐MS) two gas chromatography (GC)‐based methods. Agreement within...
Abstract The NOAA/NASA Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX‐AQ) experiment was a multi‐agency, inter‐disciplinary research effort to: (a) obtain detailed measurements of trace gas aerosol emissions from wildfires prescribed fires using aircraft, satellites ground‐based instruments, (b) make extensive suborbital remote sensing fire dynamics, (c) assess local, regional, global modeling fires, (d) strengthen connections observables the ground such as fuels...
Abstract. Extensive airborne measurements of non-methane organic gases (NMOGs), methane, nitrogen oxides, reduced species, and aerosol emissions from US wild prescribed fires were conducted during the 2019 NOAA/NASA Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Air Quality campaign (FIREX-AQ). Here, we report atmospheric enhancement ratios (ERs) inferred emission factors (EFs) for compounds measured board NASA DC-8 research aircraft nine wildfires one fire, which encompass a range...
The Alaskan Layered Pollution And Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) field experiment was a collaborative study designed to improve understanding of pollution sources and chemical processes during winter (cold climate low-photochemical activity), investigate indoor pollution, dispersion as affected by frequent temperature inversions. A number the research goals were motivated questions raised residents Fairbanks, Alaska, where held. This paper describes measurement strategies conditions encountered...
Abstract. Lagrangian tracer simulations are deployed to investigate processes influencing vertical and horizontal dispersion of anthropogenic pollution in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the Alaskan Layered Pollution Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) 2022 field campaign. Simulated concentrations carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), including surface elevated sources, highest at under very cold stable conditions. enhancements above (50–300 m) mainly attributed power plant...
Abstract. Western wildfires have a major impact on air quality in the US. In fall of 2016, 107 test fires were burned large-scale combustion facility at US Forest Service Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory as part Influence Regional and Global Environments Experiment (FIREX). Canopy, litter, duff, dead wood, other fuel components combinations that represented realistic complexes for several important western coniferous chaparral ecosystems including ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Engelmann...
Abstract. Western US wildlands experience frequent and large-scale wildfires which are predicted to increase in the future. As a result, wildfire smoke emissions expected play an increasing role atmospheric chemistry while negatively impacting regional air quality human health. Understanding impacts of on environment is informed by identifying quantifying chemical compounds that emitted during providing empirical relationships describe how amount composition change based upon different fire...
Abstract. Reactive nitrogen (Nr, defined as all nitrogen-containing compounds except for N2 and N2O) is one of the most important classes emitted from wildfire, Nr impacts both atmospheric oxidation processes particle formation chemistry. In addition, several can contribute to health wildfires. Understanding wildfire on atmosphere requires a thorough description emissions. Total reactive was measured by catalytic conversion NO detection NO–O3 chemiluminescence together with individual...
Abstract. In mid-August through mid-September of 2017 a major wildfire smoke and haze episode strongly impacted most the NW US SW Canada. During this period our ground-based site in Missoula, Montana, experienced heavy impacts for ∼ 500 h (up to 471 µg m−3 hourly average PM2.5). We measured trace gases, PM2.5 (particulate matter ≤2.5 µm diameter), black carbon submicron aerosol scattering absorption at 870 401 nm. This may be extensive real-time data these properties date. Our range gas...
Wildland fires in the western United States are projected to increase frequency, duration, and size. Characterized by widespread diverse conifer forests, burning within this region may lead significant terpenoid emissions. Terpenoids constitute a major class of highly reactive secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors, with structure-dependent variability reactivity SOA-formation potential. In study, speciated measurements terpenoids emitted from laboratory prescribed were achieved using...
Abstract Evaluating our understanding of smoke from wild and prescribed fires can benefit downwind measurements that include inert tracers to test production transport reactive species chemical mechanisms. We characterized in coniferous forest fuels for >1,000 hr over two summers (2017 2018) at Missoula, Montana, surface station found a narrow range key properties. ΔPM 2.5 /ΔCO was 0.1070 ± 0.0278 (g/g) or about half the age‐independent ratios obtained free troposphere elevations (0.2348...
Understanding the efficiency and variability of photochemical ozone (O3) production from western wildfire plumes is important to accurately estimate their influence on North American air quality. A set measurements were made NOAA Twin Otter research aircraft as a part Fire Influence Regional Global Environments Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) experiment. We use zero-dimensional (0-D) box model investigate chemistry driving O3 in modeled plumes. Modeled afternoon reached maximum mixing ratio 140 ± 50...
Abstract. We present a comparison of fast-response instruments installed onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft that measured nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2), nitrous acid (HONO), total reactive odd (measured both as (NOy) from sum individually species (ΣNOy)), carbon monoxide (CO) in troposphere during 2019 Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) campaign. By targeting smoke summertime wildfires, prescribed fires, agricultural burns across continental United States,...
Biomass burning particulate matter (BBPM) affects regional air quality and global climate, with impacts expected to continue grow over the coming years. We show that studies of North American fires have a systematic altitude dependence in measured BBPM normalized excess mixing ratio (NEMR; ΔPM/ΔCO), airborne high-altitude showing factor 2 higher NEMR than ground-based measurements. report direct measurements volatility partially explain difference observed across platforms. find when heated...
Abstract. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one of the most abundant non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by fires. HCHO also undergoes chemical production and loss as a fire plume ages, it can be an important oxidant precursor. In this study, we disentangle processes controlling examining its evolution in wildfire plumes sampled NASA DC-8 during Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Air Quality experiment (FIREX-AQ) field campaign. 9 12 analyzed plumes, dilution-normalized...
Abstract. The impact of biomass burning (BB) on the atmospheric burden volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is highly uncertain. Here we apply GEOS-Chem chemical transport model (CTM) to constrain BB emissions in western USA at ∼ 25 km resolution. Across three emission inventories widely used CTMs, inventory–inventory comparison suggests that totals 14 modeled VOC agree with each other within 30 %–40 %. However, for individual VOCs can differ by a factor 1–5, driven regionally averaged ratios...
Abstract. We report the emissions of glyoxal and methylglyoxal from open burning biomass during NOAA-led 2016 FIREX intensive at Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, MT. Both compounds were measured using cavity-enhanced spectroscopy, which is both more sensitive selective than methods previously used to determine these two compounds. A total 75 burns conducted, 33 different fuels 8 categories, providing a far comprehensive dataset for was available. Measurements our instrument suffer...