Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Impact Of Preindustrial Biomass-Burning Emissions On The Oxidation Pathways Of Tropospheric Sulfur And Nitrogen, B. Alexander, J. Savarino, Karl J. Kreutz, M. H. Thiemens

Earth Science Faculty Scholarship

Ice core measurements (H2O2 and CH4/HCHO) and modeling studies indicate a change in the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere since the onset of the Industrial Revolution due to increases in fossil fuel burning emissions [e. g., Lelieveld et al., 2002; Hauglustaine and Brasseur, 2001; Wang and Jacob, 1998; Staffelbach et al., 1991]. The mass-independent fractionation (MIF) in the oxygen isotopes of sulfate and nitrate from a Greenland ice core reveal that biomass-burning events in North America just prior to the Industrial Revolution significantly impacted the oxidation pathways of sulfur and nitrogen species deposited in Greenland ice. This finding highlights the …