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H. Worden and R. Beer
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
C.P. Rinsland
NASA Langley Research Center
In August 1994 a high resolution (0.06 cm-1) infrared spectrometer called AES (Airborne Emission Spectrometer) acquired spectral data over two wildfires, one in central Oregon on August 3 and the other near San Luis Obispo, California on August 15. The spectrometer was on board a NASA DC-8 research aircraft, flying at an altitude of 12 km. The Oregon fire was in the AES field of view for about 30 seconds during a single overpass. Three overpasses, each allowing about 30 seconds of spectral data collection were made over the California fire. The spectra from both fires clearly show features due to water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, methanol, formic acid and ethylene at significantly higher abundance and temperature than observed in downlooking spectra of normal atmospheric and ground conditions.