Aerosol Light Absorption by Soot in Remote Environments

Abstract

The high light absorption per unit mass of soot aerosol has raised concern over the potential effect it may have for radiative transfer and climate. Soot derived from combustion processes has been identified as a common atmospheric aerosol by various investigators for many continental locations. Until recently there have been few studies of soot concentrations and their variability in remote regions of the global atmosphere. Here we present extensive data collected during the past 6 years on aerosol light absorption, light scattering, single scatter albedo, and related soot concentrations for various remote locations.