Investigation on the direct radiative effect of fossil fuel black-carbon aerosol over China

Abstract

In China, due to lack of countrywide monitoring and coarse emission inventory of black carbon (BC) in early years, there are large uncertainties as to the estimations of its loading, direct radiative forcing (DRF) and climate response. Here, we apply an up-to-date emission inventory of BC in 2006 to investigate its loading, optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm and DRF using the coupled Regional Climate Chemistry Modeling System (RegCCMS). A state of the art air quality model (WRF/Chem) is also used to access surface BC concentration. Simulated surface concentrations of BC from these two models were compared with observations, while the AOD was compared with the results both from the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) model and from satellite and ground-based simulations. Results show that RegCCMS presented similar patterns and levels of annual mean-surface BC concentration to those of WRF/Chem. The regional distributions and monthly variations of RegCCMS BC were reproduced well in comparison to observations. Simulated pattern of AODs are consistent to but lower than those from satellite (Omi-0.25°) and AERONET simulations. Annual mean DRFs mainly distribute in the area with high BC loadings, with regional mean of 0.75 W m–2 and predicted global mean of 0.343 W m–2. In general, the results are about 0.4–5 times for regional column burden, about 2 times as high for regional mean DRFs, about 1.3–1.8 times for global mean DRFs and about 3–4 times for AOD at 550 nm as compared to those in previous studies in China. These increasing DRFs of BC imply that its warming effect and climate response should be stronger and the DRF of total aerosols should be weaker (less negative).