Ozone production from the 2004 North American boreal fires

The model simulations were performed with the chemistry transport model, MOZART-4, and were evaluated by comparison with a comprehensive set of aircraft measurements. In the analysis we use measurements and model simulations of carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O₃) at the PICO-NARE station located in the Azores within the pathway of North American outflow.

The modeled mixing ratios were used to test the robustness of the enhancement ratio ΔO₃/ΔCO (defined as the excess O₃ mixing ratio normalized by the increase in CO) and the feasibility for using this ratio in estimating the O₃ production from the wildfires. Modeled and observed enhancement ratios are about 0.25 ppbv/ppbv which is in the range of values found in the literature and results in a global net O₃ production of 12.9 ± 2 Tg O₃ during summer 2004.