With wildfires becoming more intense and widespread, smoke pollutes the air in ever-larger areas of the US.  We measure and construct detailed wildland-fire emissions inventories for improved air-quality predictions in smoke-impacted populations.  We are particularly interested in the effects of fuel type and combustion efficiency on smoke composition.

The atmosphere is complex. We harness the resolving power of two-dimensional gas chromatography to identify wide-ranging air pollutants.  These measurements help to identify compounds that act as ozone and secondary organic aerosol precursors. 

Most compounds undergo chemical transformations in the atmosphere. We translate this detailed chemistry into mechanisms that can be used in atmospheric models to predict the spatial and temporal evolution of air pollutants.

Reaction products of organic gases can grow atmospheric particles, a process know as secondary aerosol  (SOA) formation. SOA is a major contributor to visibility-reducing haze and poor air quality. We break down SOA formation into its fundamental processes to enable model representation and parameterization.