Impacts of Summer Biomass Burning in Australia on Carbon Monoxide, Ozone and Aerosols in the Troposphere of Darwin

Aerosol particles, ozone and carbon monoxide observed from 0-15 km altitude near Darwin (12.41degS, 130.9degE) in northern Australia, during the aerosol and chemical transport in tropical convection (ACTIVE) campaign from November 2005 to February 2006, have been analyzed. The results show that the concentrations and their vertical distributions of CO, O3 and aerosols, as measured in different meteorological regimes during the campaign, are mainly affected by the local biomass burning and the monsoon circulations. The aerosol concentration demonstrates the same trend as CO, O3, through the campaign except that measured in monsoon active periods, during which, the concentration of aerosol particles increase significantly in the levels below 2 km as airflow from sea brought a great deal of giant sea-salt particles and Aitken nuclei.