Biomass burning plays a vital role in ecosystems, agriculture, land management, and renewable energy, providing fuel for nearly half the world’s population. However, it is also a major source of atmospheric trace gases and particles, contributing 10–100% of emissions for many species that influence air quality, climate, and health. These emissions can dominate regional chemistry or interact with urban and biogenic sources, yet their composition and transformations remain highly uncertain. Reducing this uncertainty is key to improving models of atmospheric chemistry, radiative transfer, and climate change.

Our research addresses this challenge through advanced measurement systems, particularly custom-built Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) instruments. These allow real-time detection of diverse reactive and stable compounds. We use open-path FTIR for ground and lab studies, and closed-cell FTIR for airborne and mobile ground-based campaigns, often combined with canister and filter sampling. Field deployments span Africa, Alaska, Brazil, the U.S., Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, and beyond, enabling insights into fire emissions, plume evolution, and source apportionment.

We also integrate emerging techniques by purchasing, renting, or collaborating with other groups to expand analytical and modeling capabilities. For example, we applied high-resolution PTR-TOF-MS to biomass burning for the first time, improving understanding of low-volatility gases that form aerosols (FLAME-4). Our team contributed to major campaigns such as NASA SEAC4RS and DOE BBOP, providing the first comprehensive chemical characterization of U.S. wildfire emissions.

Recent projects include the Nepal NAMASTE campaign, which characterized diverse combustion sources and supported air quality mitigation in Asia, and collaborative work in Indonesia on peat fires and hydrology. Most recently, we participated in FIREX, a NOAA-led program to study U.S. wildfires.

Our group also provides data for NCAR’s emissions website, including global fire emission factors, daily fire inventories, and garbage burning emissions.