Atmospheric Biogenic Organic Emissions: Missing Compounds and Unrepresented Processes

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project consists of a combined laboratory-modeling approach to identifying missing biogenic volatile compounds (BVOC) emitted into the atmosphere by plant and biological material. Research into the influence of microbes on BVOC emissions is a particularly innovative aspect of this project. Information on missing BVOC emissions will be integrated into a new version of the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN3) Model. Four scientific questions are addressed by this study: (1) Can BVOC emissions induced by extreme weather and pollution stress influence atmospheric distributions of aerosol and oxidants? (2) Do microbes living on leaf surfaces regulate BVOC emissions into the atmosphere and modify their impact on ozone and aerosol? (3) Do missing BVOC compounds contribute to the total production of aerosol and ozone? (4) How sensitive are model predictions of air quality and climate to feedbacks associated with missing BVOC and unrepresented emission processes? The expected outcomes of this research include a quantitative understanding of the role of BVOC in atmospheric chemistry, improved air quality and climate predictions, and more effective strategies to optimize land-use, air quality, and climate management.