Analyzing the Sherpa Fire Smoke Plume through the Los Angeles Basin

The Sherpa fire began on June 15th, 2016 slightly west of Santa Barbara, California and burned over 7000 acres before its containment. The NASA DC-8 flew through smoke from the Sherpa fire on June 17th, 2016 capturing this smoke in proximity to the heavily polluted Los Angeles (LA) basin. In order to study the effects of smoke in an urban environment, four areas in the lowest 1200 meters of the atmosphere were isolated based on elevated concentrations of acetonitrile (CH3CN). Two study areas near Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) differ in space in order to study the spatial variability of the smoke, with one downtown and the other over the ocean. The other two areas near Long Beach Airport (KLGB) vary in time in order to study smoke evolution. Chemical and flight data from the DC-8 were analyzed spatially and temporally to study mixing ratios and meteorological data from the day. To determine the impact of the sea breeze on the transport of smoke into the LA basin, aircraft wind data during missed approaches and automated surface observation stations (ASOS) at KLAX and KLGB were analyzed. Additionally, back trajectories from the HYSPLIT trajectory model were run at several altitudes to confirm the transport of smoke from the fire into the four areas. Emission ratios were calculated to compare signatures of pollution from biomass burning and the already chemically complex urban area.

Presentation Slides: https://www.scribd.com/document/321271559/Analyzing-the-Progression-Sea-Breeze-Impact-and-Chemical-Transformation-of-the-Sherpa-Fire-Smoke-Plume-through-the-Los-Angeles-Basin#fullscreen&from_embed