Modeling the Impact of Biomass Combustion on Atmospheric Aerosol

Citation

Rooney, Brigitte Lee (2020) Modeling the Impact of Biomass Combustion on Atmospheric Aerosol. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/adpa-0947. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06012020-155204817

Abstract

Biomass burning is a significant source of atmospheric particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM_2.5) and encompasses a variety of activities, fuels, and emissions profiles. A significant portion of the world population relies on solid biofuels for cooking and other household activities. Residential use of solid biofuels can have negative impacts on human health, particularly in southeast Asia, and contribute to ambient air quality. In addition, wildfires are of increasing concern as climate changes and human activity expands further into the wildland-urban interface. Understanding the contributions of biomass combustion to air quality is critical for creating mitigation strategies.

In this work, the impact of biomass burning on air quality is examined using numerical and observational methods. The Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ) and the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) are used to study two biomass burning scenarios: the combustion of solid biofuels for cooking in rural India and the November 2018 Camp Fire in northern California. Model simulations are combined with surface and satellite observational data to evaluate their performance as well as their applicability to health and economic impact assessment studies. Additionally, discrepancies in methods used in laboratory experiments and field studies of cookstove emissions are investigated. Contributions of cookstove and wildfire emissions to PM_2.5 are estimated, and climate and health co-benefits of residential solid biofuel use is assessed. This thesis strives to expand the current understanding of sources of PM_2.5 and provide a base for future computational studies of biomass burning impacts on air quality, climate, and human health.

Thesis Files