The Influence of Canadian Forest Fires on Pollutant Concentrations in the United States
Gerhard Wotawa,
1*
Michael Trainer
2
High carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations from uncertain origins
occurred episodically in the southeastern United States during the
summer of 1995. We show that these episodes were caused by large forest
fires in Canada. Over a period of 2 weeks, these natural emissions
increased CO concentrations in the southeastern United States as well
as along the eastern seaboard, a region with one of the world's
highest rates of anthropogenic emissions. Within the forest fire
plumes, there were also high concentrations of ozone, volatile organic
compounds, and aerosols. These results suggest that the impact of
boreal forest fire emissions on air quality in the mid-latitudes of the
Northern Hemisphere, where anthropogenic pollutant sources have been
considered predominant, needs to be reevaluated.
1 University of Agricultural Sciences,
Institute for Meteorology and Physics, Tuerkenschanzstrasse 18, A-1180
Vienna, Austria.
2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Aeronomy Laboratory, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO
80303, USA.
*
Visiting scientist at CIRES, University of Colorado, and NOAA
Aeronomy Laboratory.
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
gerhard.wotawa{at}boku.ac.at
