Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds in the Atmosphere
Oral Presentation
Prepared by A. Guenther, S. Kim, R. Seco, D. Gu
UC Irvine, University of Irvine, Earth System Science, 3200 Croul Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697-3100, United States
Contact Information: alex.guenther@uci.edu; 949-824-7320
ABSTRACT
Plants and other organisms produce an abundant and diverse array of chemicals including many volatile organic compounds (VOC) that are released into the atmosphere. These compounds participate in numerous chemical reactions that influence the atmospheric abundance of important air pollutants and short-lived climate forcers including organic aerosol, ozone and methane. The production and release of these organics are highly variable as they are strongly influenced by environmental conditions (e.g., air pollution, temperature, solar radiation, and water availability) and landcover type. As a result, there is a strong need for observations of atmospheric biogenic organics in order to develop and evaluate models to predict their emission and atmospheric distributions and impacts. Recent advances in identifying and quantifying emissions and atmospheric concentrations of biogenic VOC will be described and compared to previous approaches that form the basis for existing models. The integration of these ambient VOC observations with biogenic emission models will be demonstrated along with the implications for air quality modeling. Priorities for future observations and monitoring of biogenic organics in the atmosphere will be given as well as their importance for the development and evaluation of a next generation biogenic emissions model.
Oral Presentation
Prepared by A. Guenther, S. Kim, R. Seco, D. Gu
UC Irvine, University of Irvine, Earth System Science, 3200 Croul Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697-3100, United States
Contact Information: alex.guenther@uci.edu; 949-824-7320
ABSTRACT
Plants and other organisms produce an abundant and diverse array of chemicals including many volatile organic compounds (VOC) that are released into the atmosphere. These compounds participate in numerous chemical reactions that influence the atmospheric abundance of important air pollutants and short-lived climate forcers including organic aerosol, ozone and methane. The production and release of these organics are highly variable as they are strongly influenced by environmental conditions (e.g., air pollution, temperature, solar radiation, and water availability) and landcover type. As a result, there is a strong need for observations of atmospheric biogenic organics in order to develop and evaluate models to predict their emission and atmospheric distributions and impacts. Recent advances in identifying and quantifying emissions and atmospheric concentrations of biogenic VOC will be described and compared to previous approaches that form the basis for existing models. The integration of these ambient VOC observations with biogenic emission models will be demonstrated along with the implications for air quality modeling. Priorities for future observations and monitoring of biogenic organics in the atmosphere will be given as well as their importance for the development and evaluation of a next generation biogenic emissions model.
