Modeling and Observation of Volatile Organic Compounds Emissions in Amazonia

• Grant number: 12/11676-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Karla Maria Longo de Freitas
• Grantee: Fernando Cavalcante dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/03391-0 - Modeling and observation of volatile organic compounds emissions in Amazonia, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The terrestrial vegetation, especially tropical forests, releases large amounts of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) into the atmosphere. It is estimated that BVOCs global emissions are dominant (1150 Tg C/year) in relation to anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (50 - 100 Tg C/year). In tropical regions, BVOCs accounts for approximately 70% of the total emission, confirming the importance that the Amazon rainforest has over global emissions of natural compounds. Analyses of BVOCs are useful for understanding regional and global atmospheric chemistry, carbon cycle and climate. Observational and modeling studies conducted in forest regions are useful in understanding regional and global atmospheric chemistry and more specifically the oxidative capacity. This study intends to obtain information on the chemical composition of the atmosphere of the Amazon rainforest through experimental measurements (air and surface) and the use of CCATT-BRAMS model coupled to MEGAN model to investigate the BVOCs emission, the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere and the factors that alter the system of BVOCs emissions. The SAMBBA experiment, planned for the month of September 2012 in the Amazon region, will provides measures of chemistry/physics of the atmosphere from the aircraft (FAAM BAE-146), the surface site in Porto Velho (RO) and the observation tower ZF-2, northwest of Manaus (AM). Within this PhD project, the integration and interpretation of the observations predicts the use of CCATT-BRAMS model coupled with MEGAN. The SAMBBA experiment will generate a valuable database that can be incorporated into numerical chemical weather models and climate currently being developed at INPE. It will be done firstly on a regional scale and later in a global, offering a unique opportunity to advance our understanding and modeling of the earth system.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SANTOS, FERNANDO; LONGO, KARLA; GUENTHER, ALEX; KIM, SAEWUNG; GU, DASA; ORAM, DAVE; FORSTER, GRANT; LEE, JAMES; HOPKINS, JAMES; BRITO, JOEL; et al. Biomass burning emission disturbances of isoprene oxidation in a tropical forest. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, v. 18, n. 17, p. 12715-12734, SEP 4 2018. (13/03391-0, 12/13575-9, 12/11676-2)