Attribution of aerosol light absorption to black carbon, brown carbon, and dust in China – interpretations of atmospheric measurements during EAST-AIRE
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 20 March 2009
- journal article
- Published by Copernicus GmbH in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- Vol. 9 (6), 2035-2050
- https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-2035-2009
Abstract
Black carbon, brown carbon, and mineral dust are three of the most important light absorbing aerosols. Their optical properties differ greatly and are distinctive functions of the wavelength of light. Most optical instruments that quantify light absorption, however, are unable to distinguish one type of absorbing aerosol from another. It is thus instructive to separate total absorption from these different light absorbers to gain a better understanding of the optical characteristics of each aerosol type. During the EAST-AIRE (East Asian Study of Tropospheric Aerosols: an International Regional Experiment) campaign near Beijing, we measured light scattering using a nephelometer, and light absorption using an aethalometer and a particulate soot absorption photometer. We also measured the total mass concentrations of carbonaceous (elemental and organic carbon) and inorganic particulates, as well as aerosol number and mass distributions. We were able to identify periods during the campaign that were dominated by dust, biomass burning, fresh (industrial) chimney plumes, other coal burning pollution, and relatively clean (background) air for Northern China. Each of these air masses possessed distinct intensive optical properties, including the single scatter albedo and Ångstrom exponents. Based on the wavelength-dependence and particle size distribution, we apportioned total light absorption to black carbon, brown carbon, and dust; their mass absorption efficiencies at 550 nm were estimated to be 9.5, 0.5 (a lower limit value), and 0.03 m2/g, respectively. While agreeing with the common consensus that black carbon is the most important light absorber in the mid-visible, we demonstrated that brown carbon and dust could also cause significant absorption, especially at shorter wavelengths.Keywords
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Black carbon or brown carbon? The nature of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosolsPublished by Copernicus GmbH ,2006
- Towards Aerosol Light-Absorption Measurements with a 7-Wavelength Aethalometer: Evaluation with a Photoacoustic Instrument and 3-Wavelength NephelometerAerosol Science and Technology, 2005
- Chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols from Zhenbeitai, China, and Gosan, South Korea, during ACE‐AsiaPublished by American Geophysical Union (AGU) ,2004
- Iron oxides and light absorption by pure desert dust: An experimental studyPublished by American Geophysical Union (AGU) ,2004
- Variability of aerosol optical properties derived from in situ aircraft measurements during ACE‐AsiaJournal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2003
- Wavelength Dependence of the Absorption of Black Carbon Particles: Predictions and Results from the TARFOX Experiment and Implications for the Aerosol Single Scattering AlbedoJournal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 2002
- Calibration and Intercomparison of Filter-Based Measurements of Visible Light Absorption by AerosolsAerosol Science and Technology, 1999
- Determining Aerosol Radiative Properties Using the TSI 3563 Integrating NephelometerAerosol Science and Technology, 1998
- Elemental Carbon-Based Method for Monitoring Occupational Exposures to Particulate Diesel ExhaustAerosol Science and Technology, 1996
- Theoretical Analysis of the Performance of the TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer The Effect of Density on ResponseAerosol Science and Technology, 1988