Estimation of the emission ratio of hydrocarbons from biomass burning by using backward trajectory analysis from airborne observation for East Asia

Abstract

Emission ratios of CO and some NMHCs from various regions in East Asia, especially for the biomass burning in Southeast Asia, were estimated by using the backward trajectory analysis from NASA TRACE-P flight tracks and a numerical simulation with three-dimensional chemical transport model (STEM-2kl). These results were compared with bottom-up inventory and previous studies. The airmasses affected by the emission from biomass burning were easily distinguished by the ratio between a certain species and another one, and the source region of them was identified as Southeast Asia by trajectory analyses. Ratios of concentration among the observed species for the airmasses affected by biomass burning were corresponding with the suggested emission factors for the savanna and grassland. In addition, reconstructed field of the observed and modeled ratio among CO and NMHCs, such as ethane/CO and ethane/propane, by the backward trajectories agreed well with the emission ratios in East Asia. This kind of analysis may help to improve the emission factors from biomass burning and other anthropogenic combustion by observation-based inventory scheme.