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Name: Leonardo Alvarado
Institute: Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen
Department: Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere (DOAS group)
Phone: +49(0)421 218 62094 (phone)
Email: lalvarado(at)iup.physik.uni-bremen.de
Weblink: http://www.iup.uni-bremen.de/doas/

PhD project title: Analysis of pyrogenic and biogenic emissions of VOC using satellite and ground-based observations

Short Abstract:

The fact that plants, in particular trees emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mainly in the form of isoprenes and monoterpenes is well established since many years. However, the uncertainties in total emissions are very high since the amounts emitted depend on several parameters, e.g. on plant species, temperature, humidity and also condition of the plant. First satellite measurements of HCHO, an important intermediate in oxidation processes of VOC; have illustrated the fact, that tropical rain forests are the major sources of VOCs on a global scale and forests are important sources. In addition, burning of biomass emits large quantities of trace gases and aerosols into the atmosphere. Depending on the type of biomass burned and the temperatures of the fire, VOCs including formaldehyde and glyoxal are being emitted from such fires.

Global fields of HCHO and CHOCHO have been retrieved at the IUP Bremen from GOME, SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 measurements. Some aspects of these retrievals still have to be improved, including possible spectral interferences over water and better correction of cloud and aerosol effects, in particular in case of biomass burning when atmospheric aerosol levels are high. Also, the retrieval should be extended to OMI data to increase the amount of available data and to later estimate trends in VOC emissions. In the main part of the project, trajectory analysis will be used to identify sources and transport path ways of HCHO and glyoxal observed in the satellite data. Both forward trajectories (mainly from locations of fires but also from areas with expected biogenic emissions) and backward trajectories (from interesting satellite measurement locations and the ground-based instrument) will be used. The outcome will be statistics on the relation between source regions and HCHO / CHOCHO columns observed as a function of season.

Start of doctoral thesis: 01st October, 2011

 

PhD committee members:

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. J. P. Burrows (Uni-Bremen/IUP), Co-Supervisor: Dr. A. Richter (Uni-Bremen/IUP).
Further members: to be definded

Conferences:

Helmholtz Research School on Earth System Science, Annual Retreat 2012, Bremerhaven, “Deutsches Auswandererhaus“, Poster Presentation: Alvarado, L et al., “Ground based observations of HCHO over Nairobi and Athens“ 30 November, 2012.


 
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