During all eight flights conducted over the equatorial and tropical South Atlantic (27°–35°W, 2°N–11°S; September 9–22, 1989) in the course of the Chemical Instrumentation Test and Evaluation (CITE 3) experiment, we observed haze layers with elevated concentrations of aerosols, O3, CO, and other trace gases related to biomass burning emissions. They occurred at altitudes between 1000 and 5200 m and were usually only some 100–300 m thick. These layers extended horizontally over several 100 km and were marked by the presence of visible brownish haze. These layers strongly influenced the chemical characteristics of the atmosphere over this remote oceanic region. Air mass trajectories indicate that these layers originate in the biomass burning regions of Africa and South America and typically have aged at least 10 days since the time of emission. In the haze layers, O3 and CO concentrations up to 90 and 210 ppb were observed, respectively. The two species were highly correlated. The ratio ΔO3/ΔCO (Δ, concentrations in plume minus background concentrations) is typically in the range 0.2–0.7, much higher than the ratios in the less aged plumes investigated previously in Amazonia. In most cases, aerosol (0.12–3 μm diameter) number concentrations were also elevated by up to 400 cm−3 in the layers; aerosol enrichments were also strongly correlated with elevated CO levels. Clear correlations between CO and NOx enrichments were not apparent due to the age of the plumes, in which most NOx would have already reacted away within 1–2 days. Only in some of the plumes could clear correlations between NOy and CO be identified; the absence of a general correlation between NOy and CO may be due to instrumental limitations and to variable sinks for NOy. The average enrichment of ΔNOy/ΔCO was quite high, consistent with the efficient production of ozone observed in the plumes. The chemical characteristics of the haze layers, together with remote sensing information and trajectory calculations, suggest that fire emissions (in Africa and/or South America) are the primary source of the haze layer components.

Meteorological and chemical data collected during the wet season Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment near Manaus, Brazil, are used to investigate the rainfall, rainfall systems, and surface kinematics of the central Amazon basin wet season. Analysis of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-West) imagery indicates that, based on location of initial development, there are three main types of convective systems which influence a mesoscale network near Manaus. Coastal Occurring Systems (COS) are mesoscale to synoptic scale sized systems of generally linear orientation which form along the northern coast of Brazil and propagate across the Amazon basin. The Basin Occurring Systems (BOS) form in the basin east and north of Manaus and also propagate toward the network. Locally Occurring Systems (LOS) form in and around the mesoscale network and rarely are larger than 1000 km 2. Composites of hourly rainfall totals and satellite-derived cloud cover show that rainfall and cloudiness associated with COS occurred in the network between 1400 and 1800 UT, while BOS rainfall was most common between 1000 and 1400 UT. Little rain or cloud cover was seen before 1600 UT during days influenced by LOS. Chemical analysis of the rainwater delivered by these systems also shows significant differences in the concentrations of formate, acetate, pyruvate, sulfate, and hydrogen ion. In addition, aerosol concentrations measured near Manaus indicate large influxes of aerosols (sodium, chlorine, and silicon) into central Amazonia after the passage of BOS and COS. The satellite-based classification indicates a definite intraseasonal variation in regard to the dominant rain-producing system. During April 11-20, BOS occurred on 8 days and produced 98% of the rainfall. Eight COS occurred during April 21 to May 3 and accounted for 89% of the rainfall. The final part of the experiment, May 4-14, was influenced solely by LOS.Harmonic analysis of surface divergence during this period exhibits a peak at 24 hours. This peak, representing the diurnal heating cycle, does not exist earlier in the experiment when BOS and COS are more frequent.

The budgets of O3, NOx (NO+NO2), reactive nitrogen (NOy), and acetic acid in the 0–6 km column over western Alaska in summer are examined by photochemical modeling of aircraft and ground‐based measurements from the Arctic Boundary Layer Expedition (ABLE 3A). It is found that concentrations of O3 in the region are regulated mainly by input from the stratosphere, and losses of comparable magnitude from photochemistry and deposition. The concentrations of NOx (10–50 ppt) are sufficiently high to slow down O3 photochemical loss appreciably relative to a NOx‐free atmosphere; if no NOx were present, the lifetime of O3 in the 0–6 km column would decrease from 46 to 26 days because of faster photochemical loss. The small amounts of NOx present in the Arctic troposphere have thus a major impact on the regional O3 budget. Decomposition of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) can account for most of the NOx below 4‐km altitude, but for only 20% at 6‐km altitude. Decomposition of other organic nitrates might supply the missing source of NOx. The lifetime of NOy, in the ABLE 3A flight region is estimated at 29 days, implying that organic nitrate precursors of NOx could be supplied from distant sources including fossil fuel combustion at northern mid‐latitudes. Biomass fire plumes sampled during ABLE 3A were only marginally enriched in O3; this observation is attributed in part to low NOx emissions in the fires, and in part to rapid conversion of NOx to PAN promoted by low atmospheric temperatures. It appears that fires make little contribution to the regional O3 budget. Only 30% of the acetic acid concentrations measured during ABLE 3A can be accounted for by reactions of CH3CO3 with HO2 and CH3O2. There remains a major unidentified source of acetic acid in the atmosphere.

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Biomass-burning impacted air masses sampled over central and eastern Canada during the summer of 1990 as part of ABLE 3B contained enhanced mixing ratios of gaseous HNO3, HCOOH, CH3COOH, and what appears to be (COOH)2. These aircraft-based samples were collected from a variety of fresh burning plumes and more aged haze layers from different source regions. Values of the enhancement factor, delta X/delta CO, where X represents an acidic gas, for combustion-impacted air masses sampled both near and farther away from the fires, were relatively uniform. However, comparison of carboxylic acid emission ratios measured in laboratory fires to field plume enhancement factors indicates significant in-plume production of HCOOH. Biomass-burning appears to be an important source of HNO39 HCOOH, and CH3COOH to the troposphere over subarctic Canada