Formaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide in the atmosphere during summer weather extremes and wildfires in European Russia in 2010 and Western Siberia in 2012

ABSTRACT

Based on the data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI; Aura) satellite instrument, an analysis of changes in total formaldehyde (CH₂O) column and tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) column, associated with the extreme summer weather regimes and wildfires in European Russia (ER) in 2010 and Western Siberia (WS) in 2012, was carried out. In both territories, over the clusters of intense fires, an approximately two-fold increase in CH₂O content and a 20% increase in NO₂ content were observed. Unlike NO₂, the changes in the CH₂O content over ER and WS also reveal positive correlation with the regional surface temperature.

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the mission scientists and principal investigators who provided the data used in this research effort. We are also grateful to two anonymous reviewers for constructive criticism and valuable comments. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under Grants 15-05-07853 and 17-05-01097 and the RAS programs. Regional anomalies of atmospheric circulation were analyzed with support from the Russian Science Foundation under grant 14-17-00806.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under Grants 15-05-07853 and 17-05-01097 and the RAS programs. Regional anomalies of atmospheric circulation were analyzed with support from the Russian Science Foundation under grant 14-17-00806.