Large contribution of biomass burning emissions to ozone throughout the global remote troposphere

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109628118
• Publication Date: 2021-12-20T21:27:46Z
• Authors: Ilann Bourgeois; Jeff Peischl; J. Andrew Neuman; Steven S. Brown; Chelsea R. Thompson; Kenneth C. Aikin; Hannah M. Allen; Hélène Angot; Eric C. Apel; Colleen B. Baublitz; Jared F. Brewer; Pedro Campuzano-Jost; Róisín Commane; John D. Crounse; Bruce C. Daube; Joshua P. DiGangi; Glenn S. Diskin; Louisa K. Emmons; Arlene M. Fiore; Georgios I. Gkatz...; Alan Hills; Rebecca S. Hornbrook; L. Gregory Huey; Jose L. Jimenez; Michelle Kim; Forrest Lacey; Kathryn McKain; Lee T. Murray; Benjamin A. Nault; David D. Parrish; Eric Ray; Colm Sweeney; David Tanner; Steven C. Wofsy; Thomas B. Ryerson
• Keywords: Tropospheric ozone

Significance Understanding the sources of tropospheric ozone is important for effective air quality management and accurate radiative forcing attribution. Biomass burning emits large quantities precursors to lower atmosphere. This source can drive regional-scale production, but its impact on global poorly constrained. Here, we present unique in situ aircraft observations continental pollution tracers. Ozone enhancements attributable biomass equal or exceed those from urban emissions, a result that not predicted by current chemical transport models. These findings represent potentially major shift understanding atmosphere indicate need model developments improve representation ozone.