Transport Of Black Carbon Research Articles

Aerosol characteristics during winter fog at Agra, North India

Simultaneous measurements on physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosols over a tropical semi-arid location, Agra in north India, were undertaken during December 2004. The average concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) increased by about 1.4 times during intense foggy/hazy days. Concentrations of SO4 2−, NO3 −, NH4 + and Black Carbon (BC) aerosols increased by 4, 2, 3.5 and 1.7 times, respectively during that period. Aerosols were acidic during intense foggy/hazy days but the fog water showed alkaline nature, mainly due to the neutralizing capacity of NH4 aerosols. Trajectory analyses showed that air masses were predominantly from NW direction, which might be responsible for transport of BC from distant and surrounding local sources. Diurnal variation of BC on all days showed a morning and an evening peak that were related to domestic cooking and vehicular emissions, apart from boundary layer changes. OPAC (Optical properties of aerosols and clouds) model was used to compute the optical properties of aerosols. Both OPAC-derived and observed aerosol optical depth (AOD) values showed spectral variation with high loadings in the short wavelengths (<1 µm). AOD value at 0.5 µm wavelength was significantly high during intense foggy/hazy days (1.22) than during clear sky or less foggy/hazy days (0.63). OPAC-derived Single scattering albedo (SSA) was 0.84 during the observational period, indicating significant contribution of absorbing aerosols. However, the BC mass fraction to TSP increased by only 1% during intense foggy/hazy days and thereby did not show any impact on SSA during that period. A large increase was observed in the shortwave (SW) atmospheric (ATM) forcing during intense foggy/hazy days (+75.8 W/m2) than that during clear sky or less foggy/hazy days (+38 W/m2), mainly due to increase in absorbing aerosols. Whereas SW forcing at surface (SUF) increased from −40 W/m2 during clear sky or less foggy/hazy days to −76 W/m2 during intense foggy/hazy days, mainly due to the scattering aerosols like SO4 2-.

Mobility of black carbon in drained peatland soils

Abstract. Amount, stability, and distribution of black carbon (BC) were studied at four sites of a large peatland ("Witzwil") formerly used as a disposal for combustion residues from households to derive BC displacement rates in the profile. Possible artefacts from thermal oxidation with Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) on BC quantification of C-rich deposits were inferred by choosing three sites from a second peatland with no historical record of waste disposal as a reference ("Seebodenalp"). All sites were under grassland at time of sampling, but were partially cropped in the past at Witzwil. Mean BC contents in topsoils of Witzwil ranged from 10.7 to 91.5 (0–30 cm) and from 0.44 to 51.3 (30–140 cm) mg BC g−1 soil, corresponding to BC/OC ratios of 0.04 to 0.3 (topsoil) and 0.02 to 0.18 (deeper soil). At three sites of Seebodenalp, BC was below the detection limit of 0.4 mg g−1 organic soil, indicating negligible formation of BC during thermal oxidation of peat. 13C NMR spectra corroborated the high BC contents at Witzwil. The data support a considerable vertical transport of BC given that soils were ploughed not deeper than 30 cm since abandonment of waste application about 50 years ago. The total amount of BC in the Witzwil profiles ranged from 3.2 to 7.5 kg BC m−2, with 21 to 69 percent of it stemming from below the former ploughing depth. Under the premise of negligible rates of BC consumption since abandonment of waste application, minimum BC transport rates in these peats are 0.6 to 1.2 cm a−1. The high mobility of BC might be explained by high macro-pore volumes in combination with occasional water saturation. By means of DSC peak temperatures, different types of BC could be distinguished, with deeper horizons containing BC of higher thermal stability. Application of combustion residues likely involved a mixture of various BC types, of which thermally more stable ones, most likely soots, were preferentially transported downwards.

Trans‐Pacific transport of black carbon and fine aerosols (D &lt; 2.5 μm) into North America

This study presents estimates of long‐range transport of black carbon (BC) and aerosol fine mass (diameter less than 2.5 μm) across the Pacific Ocean into North America during April 2004. These transport estimates are based on simulations by the Chemical Weather Forecast System (CFORS) model and evaluated across 130°W, (30°N–60°N) from 26 March through 25 April 2004. CFORS calculates BC transport into North America at 25–32 Gg of which over 75% originates from Asia. Modeled fine aerosol mass transport is between 900 and 1100 Gg. The BC transport amounts to about 77% of the published estimates of North American BC emissions. Approximately 78% of the BC and 82% of the fine aerosol mass transport occur in the midtroposphere above 2 km. Given the relatively large magnitude of the estimated BC transport, we undertake a detailed validation of the model simulations of fine aerosol mass and BC over the west coast of North America. In situ aircraft data were available for the month of April 2004 to assess the accuracy of model simulations of aerosols in the lower troposphere. Aircraft data for aerosol mass collected in the eastern Pacific Ocean during April 2004 as part of the Cloud Indirect Forcing Experiment, as well as surface measurements of fine mass and BC at 30 west coast locations, are compared to CFORS predictions. These surface sites are part of the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network. Both the aircraft and the IMPROVE data sets reveal similar patterns of good agreement near and above the boundary layer accompanied by large overprediction within the boundary layer. The observational data validate the CFORS simulations of BC and fine aerosol mass above the boundary layer. The near‐surface overprediction does not impair the major conclusions of this study regarding long‐range aerosol and BC transport, as most of the long‐range transport occurs above 2 km. From this we conclude that the transport of BC from Asia and other regions west is a major source of BC at high elevations over North America. The simulated concentrations of BC between 1 and 3 km, as well as the measured BC concentrations over the elevated IMPROVE sites, range from 0.1 to 0.3 μg/m3. Direct radiative forcing over North America due to the modeled BC concentration between 1 and 15 km is estimated at an additional 2.04–2.55 W/m2 absorbed in the atmosphere and a dimming of −1.45 to −1.47 W/m2 at the surface. The impact of transported BC on the regional radiation budget through direct and indirect effects of the transported BC and other aerosols warrants further study.

Formation, transformation and transport of black carbon (charcoal) in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems

Black carbon (BC) is ubiquitous in terrestrial environments and its unique physical and chemical properties suggest that it may play an important role in the global carbon budget (GCB). A critical issue is whether the global production of BC results in significant amounts of carbon (C) being removed from the short-term bio-atmospheric carbon cycle and transferred to the long-term geological carbon cycle. Several dozen field and laboratory based studies of BC formation during the burning of biomass have been documented. Findings are difficult to interpret because they have been expressed in an inconsistent manner, and because different physical and chemical methods have been used to derive them. High error terms documented in many of these studies also highlight the problems associated with the quantification of the amount of biomass C consumed in fire, the amount of residue produced and the constituents of that residue.To be able to estimate the potential for BC as a carbon sink, issues regarding its definition, the methods used in its identification and measurement, and the way it is expressed in relation to other components of the carbon cycle need to be addressed. This paper presents BC data in a standard way; BC production as a percentage of the amount of C consumed by fire (BC/CC), which can be readily integrated into a larger carbon budget. Results from previous studies and new data from Australian ecosystems were recalculated in this way. As part of this process, several BC estimates derived solely from physical methods were discarded, based on their inability to accurately identify and quantify the BC component of the post-fire residue. Instead, more focus was placed on BC estimates obtained by chemical methods. This recalculated data lowered the estimate for BC formation in forest fires from 4% to 5% to <3% BC/CC. For savannah and grassland fires a value of <3% is consistent with reported data, but considerable variation among estimates remains. An updated flow-chart linking the sources, fluxes and pools of BC formed in the terrestrial environment with the aquatic and marine environments, and estimates of mean residence times for BC are also presented.

Apportionment of black carbon in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula

Simultaneous time series measurements of black carbon (BC), aerosol particle number (ANC), radon, and SEM‐EDS analysis for total carbon were collected at the Brazilian Antarctic station Ferraz, northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula (62°05′S, 58°23.5′W) for the years of 1993, 1997, and 1998. A new data screening technique was applied in an effort to distinguish long‐range from local contaminations of BC. Analyses of data revealed a small increase in BC concentration during winter‐to‐spring seasons. The mean annual BC concentration of 8.3 ng m−3 was consistent with global model estimates for this region. The intermittent coupling mechanism between the regional circulation of the low‐level jets and the passages of the frontal systems explained the transport of BC from areas of burning biomass in Brazil to the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Principal component analysis applied to BC, Radon, ANC, and meteorological data presented significant factor loadings linking BC with 222Rn and with wind velocity corroborating with this hypothesis.

Black Carbon Aerosol Characteristics and Its Radiative Impact over Nainital: A High-Altitude Station in the Central Himalayas

Ground-based measurements of aerosol black carbon (BC), from a high altitude location at Nainital in the central Himalayas (during June 2006 to May 2007), were used to study its temporal variability and impact on the atmospheric radiative forcing. Diurnal variation of BC mass concentration shows single enhanced peak in the late afternoon hour. The peak is rather pronounced in winter months due to shallow and stable boundary layer condition, which is largely associated with low surface temperature. The mean BC mass concentrations were found to be as ~0.6 (±0.2), 1.4 (±0.1), 1.2 (±0.3) and 1.5 (±0.2) μg m-3 during monsoon, post-monsoon, winter and spring periods, respectively while its maximum value was ~1.8 (±0.8) μg m-3 during April. The prevailing winds revealed to facilitates the transport of BC from the distant sources to the observing site. A radiative transfer model was used in conjunction with an aerosol optical model to estimate the BC radiative forcing over the station. Results show BC forcing at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA), surface and in the atmosphere varies between about +3 to +7, -6 to -14 and +8 to +21 Wm-2, respectively which is more pronounced during spring then during monsoon depending upon BC mass loading. The positive atmosphere forcing represents a considerable amount of heating to the lower atmosphere and has been conjectured as potential factor causing global warming. The estimated heating rate of the lower atmosphere over the station was found to be ranging from 0.24 Kday-1 during monsoon to 0.58 Kday-1 during spring season. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jie.v8i3.5926 JIE 2011; 8(3): 1-10