EGU24-9137, updated on 08 Mar 2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9137
EGU General Assembly 2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Changes in atmospheric aerosols from reduced BVOC precursors in future deforestation scenarios

Ryan Vella1,2, Matthew Forrest3, Alexandra Tsimpidi4, Andrea Pozzer1,5, Thomas Hickler3,6, Jos Lelieveld1,5, and Holger Tost2
Ryan Vella et al.
  • 1Max Planck Institute for Chemistry , Atmospheric Chemistry, Germany (ryan.vella@mpic.de)
  • 2Institute for Atmospheric Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
  • 3Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • 4Institute of Energy and Climate Research, IEK-8: Troposphere, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
  • 5Climate and Atmosphere Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
  • 6Department of Physical Geography, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) are emitted in large quantities from the terrestrial biosphere and play a significant role in major atmospheric processes. Such emissions account for 90\% of the total volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and exert a significant influence on the atmosphere's oxidation capacity. The oxidation of BVOCs yields intermediate species with lower vapour pressures, resulting in organic condensation and the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). SOA directly affect the radiation budget through scattering and absorption, as well as indirectly by modifying cloud formation and distribution. It has been shown that changes in atmospheric states due to SOA contribute to feedbacks with vegetation, exerting a significant impact on global BVOC budgets. Despite their contribution to the uncertainty surrounding the impact of carbonaceous aerosols on future climate forcings, BVOC-climate feedbacks are often neglected in modelling studies. In this work, we use the chemistry-climate model EMAC coupled with the dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) LPJ-GUESS, enabling interactive calculations of BVOC emission fluxes that respond to changes in atmospheric and vegetation states. We employ deforestation scenarios using different projections for pasture land to disturb the natural potential vegetation simulated in LPJ-GUESS. Utilising a sophisticated description of secondary organic aerosols, the direct relation of atmospheric particles originating from interactive isoprene and terpene fluxes with the atmospheric state can be analysed. Consequently, we use state-of-the-art process descriptions in EMAC to study the impacts of biogenic SOA on global radiation budgets and clouds, shedding light on potential future changes in the atmosphere resulting from perturbations in the biosphere.

How to cite: Vella, R., Forrest, M., Tsimpidi, A., Pozzer, A., Hickler, T., Lelieveld, J., and Tost, H.: Changes in atmospheric aerosols from reduced BVOC precursors in future deforestation scenarios, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-9137, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-9137, 2024.

OSPP voting tool

This contribution takes part in the OSPP contest. Please log in to see the relevant judging section.