RESEARCH SPECIALTIES:
Brune studies the atmosphere's oxidation chemistry by making measurements in field campaigns and then modeling the measurements with photochemical box models. These studies address fundamental questions of air quality near Earth's surface, of atmospheric effects of global pollution in the middle and upper troposphere, and of ozone destruction in the stratosphere. He, his research associates, and his students have developed instruments to measure atmospheric hydroxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals, OH reactivity (the inverse of the OH lifetime), potential aerosol mass, and the ozone production rate. Their Potential Aerosol Mass chambers are used by more than a dozen research groups for laboratory and field studies of particle formation and aging. He and his colleagues also assess atmospheric chemistry model uncertainty and the sensitivity of model outputs to model inputs. This research is focused on improving the understanding of atmospheric oxidation processes.
Join us as we explore the atmosphere's oxidation chemistry with field measurements, laboratory studies, and modeling. Be a valuable member in our scientific collaborations with other research groups around the world. Become an expert in an expanding research area that has significant implications for society, global change, and environmental policy.
RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Atmospheric photochemistry from Earth's surface to the stratosphere; atmospheric aerosol particle formation and aging; uncertainty and sensitivity analysis for atmospheric chemistry models and measurements; new measurement strategies for atmospheric oxidation processes
TEACHING INTERESTS:
Atmospheric chemistry, phenomena of the middle atmosphere, cloud chemistry and physics, thermodynamics, micrometeorology, instruments.
Selected Publications:
Brune, W.H., X. Ren, L. Zhang, J. Mao, D.O. Miller, B.E. Anderson, D.R. Blake, R.C. Cohen, G.S. Diskin, S.R. Hall, T.F. Hanisco, L.G. Huey, B.A. Nault, J. Peischel, I. Pollack, T.B. Ryerson, T. Shingler, A. Sorooshian, K. Ullmann, A. Wisthaler, P.J. Woolridge, 2018: Atmospheric oxidation in the presence of clouds during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) study, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 18, 14493-14510, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14493-2018.
Christian, K. E., W. H. Brune, and J. Q. Mao, 2017: Global sensitivity analysis of the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model: ozone and hydrogen oxides during ARCTAS (2008). Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 17 (5):3769-3784.
Baier, B.C., W.H. Brune, D.O. Miller, D. Blake, R. Long, A. Wisthaler, C. Cantrell, A. Fried, B. Heikes, S. Brown, E. McDuffie, F. Flocke, E. Apel, L. Kaser, A. Weinheimer, 2017: Higher measured than modeled ozone production at increased NOx levels in the Colorado Front Range, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17(18), 11273-11292, doi:10.5194/acp-17-11273-2017.
Feiner, P.A., W.H. Brune, D.O. Miller, L. Zhang, R.C. Cohen, P.S. Romer, A.H. Goldstein, F.N. Keutsch, K.M. Skog, P.O. Wennberg, T.B. Nguyen, A.P. Teng, J. DeGouw, A. Koss, R.J. Wild, S.S. Brown, A. Guenther, E. Edgerton, K. Baumann, and J.L. Fry, 2016: Testing Atmospheric Oxidation in an Alabama Forest. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 73 (12):4699-4710.
Brune, WH, BC Baier, J Thomas, X. Ren, R.C. Cohen, S.E. Pusede, E.C. Browne, A.H. Goldstein, D.R. Gentner, F.N. Keutsch, J.A. Thornton, S. Harrold, F.D. Lopez-Hilfiker, and P.O. Wennberg, 2016: Ozone production chemistry in the presence of urban plumes. Faraday Discussions, 189:169-189.
Chen, S., W.H. Brune, A.T. Lambe, P. Davidovits, T.B. Onasch, Modeling organic aerosol from the oxidation of alpha-pinene in a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) chamber, 2013: Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 5017-5031, DOI: 10.5194/acp-13-5017-2013.
Chen, S., W.H. Brune, O.O. Oluwole, C.E. Kolb, F. Bacon, G.Y. Li, H. Rabitz, 2012: Global Sensitivity Analysis of the Regional Atmospheric Chemical Mechanism: An Application of Random Sampling-High Dimensional Model Representation to Urban Oxidation Chemistry, Environmental Science and Technology, 46, 11162-11170 DOI: 10.1021/es301565w.
Mao, J., X. Ren, L. Zhang, D. M. Van Duin, R. C. Cohen, J.-H. Park, A. H. Goldstein, F. Paulot, M. R. Beaver, J.D. Crounse, P. O. Wennberg, J. P. DiGangi, S. B. Henry, F. N. Keutsch, C. Park, G. W. Schade, G. M. Wolfe, J. A. Thornton, and W. H. Brune, 2012: Insights into hydroxyl measurements and atmospheric oxidation in a California forest, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 8009–8020.
Lambe, A.T., T.B. Onasch, D.R. Croasdale, J. Martin, A.T. Alexander, P. Massoli, J.H. Kroll, M.R. Canagaratna, W.H. Brune, D.R. Worsnop, P. Davdovits, 2012: Transitions from Functionalization to Fragmentation Reactions of Laboratory Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) Generated from the OH Oxidation of Alkane Precursors, Environmental Science and Technology, 46, 5430-5437, DOI: 10.1021/es300274t.
Kang, E., M.J. Root, D.W. Toohey, W.H. Brune, 2007: Introducing the concept of Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 5727–5744.
Di Carlo, P; W.H. Brune, M. Martinez, H. Harder, R. Lesher, X.R. Ren, T. Thornberry, M.A. Carroll, V. Young, P.B. Shepson, D. Riemer, E. Apel, C. Campbell, 2004: Missing OH reactivity in a forest: Evidence for unknown reactive biogenic VOCs, Science, 304, 722-725.