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Biomass Burning as a Source of Atmospheric Gases CO, H2, N2O, NO, CH3Cl and COS

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Paul J. Crutzen: A Pioneer on Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Change in the Anthropocene

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs on Pioneers in Science and Practice ((NOBEL,volume 50))

Abstract

The potential importance of deforestation and biomass burning for the atmospheric CO2 cycle has received much attention and caused some controversy. Biomass burning can contribute extensively to the budgets of several gases which are important in atmospheric chemistry. In several cases the emission is comparable to the technological source. Most burning takes place in the tropics in the dry season and is caused by man’s activities. The potential importance of deforestation and biomass burning for the atmospheric CO2 cycle has received much attention and caused some controversy. In this article we will show the probable importance of biomass burning as a trace gas source, which is caused by man’s activities in the tropics. We used the results of our global biomass burning analysis to derive some rough estimates of the sources of the important atmospheric trace gases CO, H2, CH4, N2O, NOx (NO and NO2), COS and CH3Cl from the worldwide burning of biomass.

This text was first published as: Paul J. Crutzen, Leroy E. Heidt, Joseph P. Krasnec, Walter H. Pollock and Wolfgang Seiler. “Biomass Burning as a Source of Atmospheric Gases CO2, H2, N2O, NO, CH3Cl and COS”, in: Nature, Vol. 282, No. 5736, pp. 253–256. November 15, 1979. The permission to republish this artiucle was granted on 19 August 2015 by Ms. Claire Smith, Nature Publishing Group & Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK. The authors thank Drs. W. Lewis and C. McMahon for valuable comments. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the NSF.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie (Otto-Hahn-Institute), Mainz, Germany

    Paul J. Crutzen

  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, USA

    Leroy E. Heidt, Joseph P. Krasnec & Walter H. Pollock

  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie (Otto-Hahn Institut), Mainz, Germany

    Wolfgang Seiler

Authors
  1. Paul J. Crutzen
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  2. Leroy E. Heidt
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  3. Joseph P. Krasnec
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  4. Walter H. Pollock
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  5. Wolfgang Seiler
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie (Otto-Hah, Mainz, Germany

    Paul J. Crutzen

  2. Studies (AFES-PRESS), Peace Research and European Security, Mosbach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Hans Günter Brauch

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Crutzen, P.J., Heidt, L.E., Krasnec, J.P., Pollock, W.H., Seiler, W. (2016). Biomass Burning as a Source of Atmospheric Gases CO, H2, N2O, NO, CH3Cl and COS. In: Crutzen, P., Brauch, H. (eds) Paul J. Crutzen: A Pioneer on Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Change in the Anthropocene. SpringerBriefs on Pioneers in Science and Practice(), vol 50. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27460-7_4

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