High-resolution biomass burning aerosol transport simulations in the tropics

Abstract

This study evaluates the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) for simulating biomass burning aerosol transport at high resolution in the tropics using two different biomass burning emission inventories. Hourly, daily, and monthly average PM10 dry mass concentrations at 5 km resolution—simulated separately using the Brazilian Biomass Burning Emission Model (WRF-3BEM) and the Fire Inventory from NCAR (WRF-FINN) and their averages (WRF-AVG) for 3 months from February to April—are evaluated, using measurements from ground stations distributed in northern Thailand for 2014 and 2015. Results show that WRF-3BEM agrees well with observations and performs much better than WRF-FINN and WRF-AVG. WRF-3BEM simulations are almost unbiased, while those of WRF-FINN and WRF-AVG are significantly overestimated due to significant overestimates of FINN emissions. WRF-3BEM and the measured monthly average PM10 concentrations for all stations and both years are 89.22 and 87.20 μg m−3, respectively. The root mean squared error of WRF-3BEM simulated monthly average PM10 concentrations is 72.00 and 47.01% less than those of WRF-FINN and WRF-AVG, respectively. The correlation coefficient of WRF-3BEM simulated monthly PM10 concentrations and measurements is 0.89. WRF-3BEM can provide useful biomass burning aerosol transport simulations for the northern region of Thailand. Keywords: air quality modeling; biomass burning emissions; biomass burning aerosol transport simulation; northern region of Thailand; PM10 concentration; smoke haze episode