Elizabeth B. Wiggins
A5058951886- Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Atmospheric aerosols and clouds
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
- Odor and Emission Control Technologies
- Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Vehicle emissions and performance
- Fire dynamics and safety research
- Landslides and related hazards
- Climate change and permafrost
- Calibration and Measurement Techniques
- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Radiative Heat Transfer Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Fire Detection and Safety Systems
- Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
- Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
- Combustion and flame dynamics
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Graph Theory and Algorithms
- Lightning and Electromagnetic Phenomena
- Advanced Algebra and Geometry
Langley Research Center
2017-2025
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2024
Universities Space Research Association
2020-2023
University of California, Irvine
2015-2021
University of California System
2021
National Postdoctoral Association
2021
Irvine University
2018
University of Florida
2016
Georgetown College
2009
Lehigh University
2006
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. We evaluate the sensitivity of size calibrations two commercially available, high-resolution optical particle sizers to changes in aerosol composition and complex refractive index (RI). The Droplet Measurement Technologies Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) TSI, Inc. Laser (LAS) are commonly used instruments for measuring portion distribution with diameters larger than nominally 60–90 nm. Both illuminate particles a laser relate single-particle light scattering...
Abstract Wildfire smoke influences on air quality and atmospheric chemistry have been underscored by the increasing fire prevalence in recent years, yet, connection between fire, emissions, subsequent transformation of this atmosphere remains poorly constrained. Toward improving these linkages, we present a new method for coupling high time‐resolution satellite observations radiative power with situ aerosols trace gases. We apply technique to 13 plumes comprehensively characterized during...
Oceans emit large quantities of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) to the marine atmosphere. The oxidation DMS leads formation and growth cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) with consequent effects on Earth's radiation balance climate. quantitative assessment impact emissions CCN concentrations necessitates a detailed description in presence existing aerosol particles clouds. In unpolluted atmosphere, is efficiently oxidized hydroperoxymethyl thioformate (HPMTF), stable intermediate chemical trajectory...
Abstract. Wildfires are increasing in size across the western US, leading to increases human smoke exposure and associated negative health impacts. The impact of biomass burning (BB) smoke, including wildfires, on regional air quality depends emissions, transport, chemistry, oxidation emitted BB volatile organic compounds (BBVOCs) by hydroxyl radical (OH), nitrate (NO3), ozone (O3). During daytime, when light penetrates plumes, BBVOCs oxidized mainly O3 OH. In contrast, at night or optically...
Abstract. We deployed an extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-MS) for airborne measurements of biomass burning aerosol during the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) study onboard NASA DC-8 research aircraft. Through optimization working solution, active control region pressure, precise capillary position, we achieved 1 Hz quantitative nitrocatechol levoglucosan concentrations up pressure altitudes 7 km. The...
Abstract. Wildfire smoke is one of the most significant concerns human and environmental health, associated with its substantial impacts on air quality, weather, climate. However, biomass burning emissions remain among largest sources uncertainties in quality forecasts. In this study, we evaluate plume forecasts from 12 state-of-the-art forecasting systems during Williams Flats fire Washington State, US, August 2019, which was intensively observed Fire Influence Regional to Global...
Abstract. Brown carbon (BrC) associated with aerosol particles in western United States wildfires was measured between July and August 2019 aboard the NASA DC-8 research aircraft during Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) study. Two BrC measurement methods are investigated, highly spectrally resolved light absorption solvent (water methanol) extracts of collected filters situ bulk particle at three wavelengths (405, 532 664 nm) a photoacoustic...
Carbonaceous emissions from wildfires are a dynamic mixture of gases and particles that have important impacts on air quality climate. Emissions feed atmospheric models estimated using burned area fire radiative power (FRP) methods rely satellite products. These approaches show wide variability large uncertainties, their accuracy is challenging to evaluate due limited aircraft ground measurements. Here, we present novel method estimate plume-integrated total carbon speciated emission rates...
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...
Significance We report radiocarbon ( 14 C) measurements of carbonaceous aerosol originating from fires on the islands Sumatra and Borneo. These data provide information about what types ecosystems burned are critical for linking human health effects to anthropogenic build-up atmospheric CO 2 . Our confirm that peat emissions were dominant source aerosols in Singapore during 2015 El Niño a means monitoring success policies designed protect peatland areas future drought events.
Although the characteristics of biomass burning events and ambient ecosystem determine emitted smoke composition, conditions that modulate partitioning black carbon (BC) brown (BrC) formation are not well understood, nor spatial or temporal frequency factors driving particle evolution, such as hydration, coagulation, oxidation, all which impact radiative forcing. In situ data from surface observation sites aircraft field campaigns offer deep insight into optical, chemical, microphysical...
Abstract. Fires emit sufficient sulfur to affect local and regional air quality climate. This study analyzes SO2 emission factors variability in smoke plumes from US wildfires agricultural fires, as well their relationship sulfate hydroxymethanesulfonate (HMS) formation. Observed for various fuel types show good agreement with the latest reviews of biomass burning factors, producing an factor range 0.47–1.2 g kg−1 C. These vary geographic location a way that suggests deposition coal...
Abstract The 2019 Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) field experiment obtained a diverse set of in situ remotely sensed measurements before during pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) event over the Williams Flats fire Washington State. This unique dataset confirms that pyroCb activity is an efficient vertical smoke transport pathway into upper troposphere lower stratosphere (UTLS). magnitude plumes observed UTLS has increased significantly recent years,...
Abstract. During the 2019 Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) study, NASA DC-8 carried out in situ chemical measurements smoke plumes emitted from wildfires agricultural fires contiguous United States. The payload included a modified proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) for fast measurement of gaseous ammonia (NH3) high-resolution aerosol (AMS) submicron particulate ammonium (NH4+). We herein report data collected 6...
Abstract. Fire is the dominant disturbance agent in Alaskan and Canadian boreal ecosystems releases large amounts of carbon into atmosphere. Burned area emissions have been increasing with climate change, which potential to alter balance shift region from a historic sink source. It therefore critically important track spatiotemporal changes burned fire over time. Here we developed new burned-area detection algorithm between 2001–2019 across Alaska Canada at 500 m (meters) resolution that...
Abstract. Recent increases in boreal forest burned area, which have been linked with climate warming, highlight the need to better understand composition of wildfire emissions and their atmospheric impacts. Here we quantified emission factors for CO CH4 from a massive regional fire complex interior Alaska during summer 2015 using continuous high-resolution trace gas observations Carbon Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CRV) tower Fox, Alaska. Averaged over season, mean / CO2 ratio...
Abstract. The evolution of organic aerosol (OA) and size distributions within smoke plumes is uncertain due to the variability in rates coagulation OA condensation/evaporation between different at locations a single plume. We use aircraft data from FIREX-AQ campaign evaluate differences evolving distributions, OA, oxygen carbon ratios (O:C) during first several hours aging as function concentration. observations show that median particle diameter increases faster higher initial concentration...
Abstract Agricultural and prescribed burning activities emit large amounts of trace gases aerosols on regional to global scales. We present a compilation emission factors (EFs) ratios from the eastern portion Fire Influence Regional Global Environments Air Quality (FIREX‐AQ) campaign in 2019 United States, which sampled crop residues other fire fuels. FIREX‐AQ provided comprehensive chemical characterization 53 residue 22 fires. Crop burned at different modified combustion efficiencies...
Abstract Increasing impacts of wildfires on Western US air quality highlights the need for forecasts smoke emissions based dynamic modeled wildfires. This work utilizes knowledge weather, fuels, topography, and firefighting, combined with machine learning other statistical methods, to generate 1‐ 2‐day fire radiative energy (FRE). The models are trained data covering 2019 2021 evaluated 2020. For 1‐day (2‐day) forecasts, random forest model shows most skill, explaining 48% (25%) variance in...
Abstract. Biomass burning (BB) affects air quality and climate by releasing large quantities of gaseous particulate pollutants into the atmosphere. Photochemical processing during daylight transforms these emissions, influencing their overall environmental impact. Accurately quantifying photochemical drivers, namely actinic flux photolysis frequencies, is crucial to constraining this chemistry. However, complex radiative transfer within BB plumes presents a significant challenge for both...
Abstract The evolution of organic aerosol (OA) composition and size distributions within smoke plumes are uncertain due to variability in the rates OA evaporation/condensation coagulation a plume. It remains unclear how varies across different parts individual plumes. We use large eddy simulation model coupled with aerosol‐microphysics radiation models simulate Williams Flats fire sampled during Fire Influence on Regional Global Environments Air Quality field campaign. At aircraft altitude,...
As Asian urban areas continue to expand, so will their contribution global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, driven primarily by increases in fossil fuel combustion. Left unchecked, these emissions negatively impact air quality and climate, therefore it is imperative that emission sources are properly identified accounted for inventories. Enhancement ratios of GHGs have been used characterize regional as either dominated combustion or biomass burning. In particular, airborne assessment...