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Ferrero L, Losi N, Rigler M, Gregorič A, Colombi C, D'Angelo L, Cuccia E, Cefalì AM, Gini I, Doldi A, Cerri S, Maroni P, Cipriano D, Markuszewski P, Bolzacchini E. Determining the Aethalometer multiple scattering enhancement factor C from the filter loading parameter. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170221. [PMID: 38280585 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Light-absorbing aerosols heat the atmosphere; an accurate quantification of their absorption coefficient is mandatory. However, standard reference instruments (CAPS, MAAP, PAX, PTAAM) are not always available at each measuring site around the world. By integrating all previous published studies concerning the Aethalometers, the AE33 filter loading parameter, provided by the dual-spot algorithm, were used to determine the multiple scattering enhancement factor from the Aethalometer itself (hereinafter CAE) on an yearly and a monthly basis. The method was developed in Milan, where Aethalometer measurements were compared with MAAP data; the comparison showed a good agreement in terms of equivalent black carbon (R2 = 0.93; slope = 1.02 and a negligible intercept = 0.12 μg m-3) leading to a yearly experimental multiple scattering enhancement factor of 2.51 ± 0.04 (hereinafter CMAAP). On a yearly time base the CAE values obtained using the new approach was 2.52 ± 0.01, corresponding to the experimental one (CMAAP). Considering the seasonal behavior, higher experimental CMAAP and computed CAE values were found in summer (2.83 ± 0.12) whereas, the lower ones in winter/early-spring (2.37 ± 0.03), in agreement with the single scattering albedo behavior in the Po Valley. Overall, the agreement between the experimental CMAAP and CAE showed a root mean squared error (RMSE) of just 0.038 on the CMAAP prediction, characterized by a slope close to 1 (1.001 ± 0.178), a negligible intercept (-0.002 ± 0.455) and a high degree of correlation (R2 = 0.955). From an environmental point of view, the application of a dynamic (space/time) determination of CAE increases the accuracy of the aerosol heating rate (compared to applying a fixed C value) up to 16 % solely in Milan, and to 114 % when applied in the Arctic at 80°N.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ferrero
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - N Losi
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - M Rigler
- Aerosol d.o.o., Kamniška 39A, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - A Gregorič
- Aerosol d.o.o., Kamniška 39A, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Nova Gorica, SI-5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - C Colombi
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardy (ARPA Lombardia), Air Quality Department, Milan, Italy
| | - L D'Angelo
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardy (ARPA Lombardia), Air Quality Department, Milan, Italy; Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60438, Germany
| | - E Cuccia
- Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardy (ARPA Lombardia), Air Quality Department, Milan, Italy
| | - A M Cefalì
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy; RSE - Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico S.p.A., via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy
| | - I Gini
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - A Doldi
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - S Cerri
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - P Maroni
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - D Cipriano
- RSE - Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico S.p.A., via Rubattino 54, 20134 Milano, Italy
| | - P Markuszewski
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 81-712 Sopot, Poland; Bolin Centre for Climate Research and Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - E Bolzacchini
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
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2
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Al-Abadleh HA. Iron content in aerosol particles and its impact on atmospheric chemistry. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024. [PMID: 38268472 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc04614a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Atmospheric aerosol effects on ecological and human health remain uncertain due to their highly complex and evolving nature when suspended in air. Atmospheric chemistry, global climate/oceanic and health exposure models need to incorporate more realistic representations of aerosol particles, especially their bulk and surface chemistry, to account for the evolution in aerosol physicochemical properties with time. (Photo)chemistry driven by iron (Fe) in atmospheric aerosol particles from natural and anthropogenic sources remains limited in these models, particularly under aerosol liquid water conditions. In this feature article, recent advances from our work on Fe (photo)reactivity in multicomponent aerosol systems are highlighted. More specifically, reactions of soluble Fe with aqueous extracts of biomass burning organic aerosols and proxies of humic like substances leading to brown carbon formation are presented. Some of these reactions produced nitrogen-containing gaseous and condensed phase products. For comparison, results from these bulk aqueous phase chemical studies were compared to those from heterogeneous reactions simulating atmospheric aging of Fe-containing reference materials. These materials include Arizona test dust (AZTD) and combustion fly ash particles. Also, dissolution of Fe and other trace elements is presented from simulated human exposure experiments to highlight the impact of aerosol aging on levels of trace metals. The impacts of these chemical reactions on aerosol optical, hygroscopic and morphological properties are also emphasized in light of their importance to aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interactions, in addition to biogeochemical processes at the sea/ocean surface microlayer upon deposition. Future directions for laboratory studies on Fe-driven multiphase chemistry are proposed to advance knowledge and encourage collaborations for efficient utilization of expertise and resources among climate, ocean and health scientific communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hind A Al-Abadleh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada.
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3
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Zhong Q, Schutgens N, van der Werf GR, Takemura T, van Noije T, Mielonen T, Checa-Garcia R, Lohmann U, Kirkevåg A, Olivié DJ, Kokkola H, Matsui H, Kipling Z, Ginoux P, Le Sager P, Rémy S, Bian H, Chin M, Zhang K, Bauer SE, Tsigaridis K. Threefold reduction of modeled uncertainty in direct radiative effects over biomass burning regions by constraining absorbing aerosols. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi3568. [PMID: 38039365 PMCID: PMC10691779 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi3568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Absorbing aerosols emitted from biomass burning (BB) greatly affect the radiation balance, cloudiness, and circulation over tropical regions. Assessments of these impacts rely heavily on the modeled aerosol absorption from poorly constrained global models and thus exhibit large uncertainties. By combining the AeroCom model ensemble with satellite and in situ observations, we provide constraints on the aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) over the Amazon and Africa. Our approach enables identification of error contributions from emission, lifetime, and MAC (mass absorption coefficient) per model, with MAC and emission dominating the AAOD errors over Amazon and Africa, respectively. In addition to primary emissions, our analysis suggests substantial formation of secondary organic aerosols over the Amazon but not over Africa. Furthermore, we find that differences in direct aerosol radiative effects between models decrease by threefold over the BB source and outflow regions after correcting the identified errors. This highlights the potential to greatly reduce the uncertainty in the most uncertain radiative forcing agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qirui Zhong
- Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nick Schutgens
- Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Toshihiko Takemura
- Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Twan van Noije
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, De Bilt, Netherlands
| | | | - Ramiro Checa-Garcia
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, IPSL, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Reading, UK
| | - Ulrike Lohmann
- Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alf Kirkevåg
- Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Hitoshi Matsui
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Zak Kipling
- European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Reading, UK
| | - Paul Ginoux
- NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | | | - Huisheng Bian
- Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR) II, University of Maryland at Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Mian Chin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Susanne E. Bauer
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York City, NY, USA
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Kostas Tsigaridis
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York City, NY, USA
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
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4
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Tian P, Zhang N, Li J, Fan X, Guan X, Lu Y, Shi J, Chang Y, Zhang L. Potential influence of fine aerosol chemistry on the optical properties in a semi-arid region. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114678. [PMID: 36341796 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current understanding regarding the potential influence of aerosol chemistry on the optical properties does not satisfy accurate evaluation of aerosol radiative effects and precise determination of aerosol sources. We conducted a comprehensive study of the potential influence of aerosol chemistry on the optical properties in a semi-arid region based on various observations. Organic matter was the main contributor to the scattering coefficients followed by secondary inorganic aerosols in all seasons. We further related aerosol absorption to elemental carbon, organic matter, and mineral dust. Results showed that organic matter and mineral dust contributed to >40% of the aerosol absorption in the ultraviolet wavelengths. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the absorption of organic matter and mineral dust in addition to that of elemental carbon. We further investigated the potential influence of chemical composition, especially of organic matter and mineral dust on the optical parameters. Mineral dust contributed to higher absorption efficiency and lower scattering efficiency in winter. The absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) was mostly sensitive to organic matter and mineral dust in winter and spring, respectively; it was relatively high (i.e., 1.68) in winter and moderate (i.e., 1.42) in spring. Unlike in the other seasons, mineral dust contributed to higher mass absorption efficiency in winter. This work reveals the complexity of the relationship between aerosol chemistry and optical properties, and especially the influence of organic matter and mineral dust on aerosol absorption. The results are highly important regarding both regional air pollution and climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Tian
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Naiyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jiayun Li
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Xiaolu Fan
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xu Guan
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yuting Lu
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Jinsen Shi
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yi Chang
- Gansu Province Environmental Monitoring Center, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Semi-Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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5
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Multi-angular polarimetric remote sensing to pinpoint global aerosol absorption and direct radiative forcing. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7459. [PMID: 36460672 PMCID: PMC9718735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35147-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantitative estimations of atmospheric aerosol absorption are rather uncertain due to the lack of reliable information about the global distribution. Because the information about aerosol properties is commonly provided by single-viewing photometric satellite sensors that are not sensitive to aerosol absorption. Consequently, the uncertainty in aerosol radiative forcing remains one of the largest in the Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR5 and AR6). Here, we use multi-angular polarimeters (MAP) to provide constraints on emission of absorbing aerosol species and estimate global aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) and its climate effect. Our estimate of modern-era mid-visible AAOD is 0.0070 that is higher than IPCC by a factor of 1.3-1.8. The black carbon instantaneous direct radiative forcing (BC DRF) is +0.33 W/m2 [+0.17, +0.54]. The MAP constraint narrows the 95% confidence interval of BC DRF by a factor of 2 and boosts confidence in its spatial distribution.
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6
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Al-Abadleh HA, Motaghedi F, Mohammed W, Rana MS, Malek KA, Rastogi D, Asa-Awuku AA, Guzman MI. Reactivity of aminophenols in forming nitrogen-containing brown carbon from iron-catalyzed reactions. Commun Chem 2022; 5:112. [PMID: 36697654 PMCID: PMC9814260 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-022-00732-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen-containing organic carbon (NOC) in atmospheric particles is an important class of brown carbon (BrC). Redox active NOC like aminophenols received little attention in their ability to form BrC. Here we show that iron can catalyze dark oxidative oligomerization of o- and p-aminophenols under simulated aerosol and cloud conditions (pH 1-7, and ionic strength 0.01-1 M). Homogeneous aqueous phase reactions were conducted using soluble Fe(III), where particle growth/agglomeration were monitored using dynamic light scattering. Mass yield experiments of insoluble soot-like dark brown to black particles were as high as 40%. Hygroscopicity growth factors (κ) of these insoluble products under sub- and super-saturated conditions ranged from 0.4-0.6, higher than that of levoglucosan, a prominent proxy for biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA). Soluble products analyzed using chromatography and mass spectrometry revealed the formation of ring coupling products of o- and p-aminophenols and their primary oxidation products. Heterogeneous reactions of aminophenol were also conducted using Arizona Test Dust (AZTD) under simulated aging conditions, and showed clear changes to optical properties, morphology, mixing state, and chemical composition. These results highlight the important role of iron redox chemistry in BrC formation under atmospherically relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hind A Al-Abadleh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada.
| | - Fatemeh Motaghedi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Wisam Mohammed
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Md Sohel Rana
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Kentucky, 40506, USA
| | - Kotiba A Malek
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Dewansh Rastogi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Akua A Asa-Awuku
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - Marcelo I Guzman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Kentucky, 40506, USA.
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7
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Using Multi-Platform Satellite Observations to Study the Atmospheric Evolution of Brown Carbon in Siberian Biomass Burning Plumes. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14112625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
A bulk of evidence from in situ observations and lab experiments suggests that brown carbon (light-absorbing organic compounds in particles) can provide a significant yet highly variable contribution to the overall light absorption by aerosol particles from biomass burning (BB). Partly stemming from the complexity of the atmospheric evolution of organic aerosol (OA), the variability in brown carbon (BrC) absorption makes it difficult to partition the radiative effects of BrC and black carbon (BC) in atmospheric and climate models; as such, there are calls for satellite-based methods that could provide a statistical characterization of BrC absorption and its evolution in different regions of the world, especially in remote BB regions, such as Siberia. This study examined the feasibility of the statistical characterization of the evolution of BrC absorption and related parameters of BB aerosol in smoke plumes from intense wildfires in Siberia through the analysis of a combination of data from three satellite instruments: OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument), MISR (Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer), and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). Using a Monte Carlo method, which related the satellite retrievals of the absorption and extinction aerosol optical depths to Mie theory calculations of the optical properties of BB aerosol, we found that the BrC absorption, as well as the imaginary refractive index for the OA, decreased significantly in Siberian BB smoke plumes during about 30 h of the daylight evolution, nevertheless remaining considerable until at least 70 h of the daylight evolution. Overall, the study indicated that the analysis of multi-platform satellite observations of BB plumes can provide useful insights into the atmospheric evolution of BrC absorption and the partitioning of BrC and BC contributions to the total light absorption by BB aerosol.
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8
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Brodrick PG, Thompson DR, Garay MJ, Giles DM, Holben BN, Kalashnikova OV. Simultaneous Characterization of Wildfire Smoke and Surface Properties With Imaging Spectroscopy During the FIREX-AQ Field Campaign. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2022; 127:e2021JD034905. [PMID: 35865790 PMCID: PMC9286569 DOI: 10.1029/2021jd034905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We introduce and evaluate an approach for the simultaneous retrieval of aerosol and surface properties from Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer Classic (AVIRIS-C) data collected during wildfires. The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality field campaign took place in August 2019, and involved two aircraft and coordinated ground-based observations. The AVIRIS-C instrument acquired data from onboard NASA's high altitude ER-2 research aircraft, coincident in space and time with aerosol observations obtained from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) DRAGON mobile platform in the smoke plume downwind of the Williams Flats Fire in northern Washington in August 2019. Observations in this smoke plume were used to assess the capacity of optimal-estimation based retrievals to simultaneously estimate aerosol optical depth (AOD) and surface reflectance from Visible Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectroscopy. Radiative transfer modeling of the sensitivities in spectral information collected over smoke reveal the potential capacity of high spectral resolution retrievals to distinguish between sulfate and smoke aerosol models, as well as sensitivity to the aerosol size distribution. Comparison with ground-based AERONET observations demonstrates that AVIRIS-C retrievals of AOD compare favorably with direct sun AOD measurements. Our analyses suggest that spectral information collected from the full VSWIR spectral interval, not just the shortest wavelengths, enables accurate retrievals. We use this approach to continuously map both aerosols and surface reflectance at high spatial resolution across heterogeneous terrain, even under relatively high AOD conditions associated with wildfire smoke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip G. Brodrick
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - David R. Thompson
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Michael J. Garay
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - David M. Giles
- Science Systems and Applications Inc. (SSAI)LanhamMDUSA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)GreenbeltMDUSA
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9
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Shanableh A, Al-Ruzouq R, Hamad K, Gibril MBA, Khalil MA, Khalifa I, El Traboulsi Y, Pradhan B, Jena R, Alani S, Alhosani M, Stietiya MH, Al Bardan M, Al-Mansoori S. Effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and recovery on People's mobility and air quality in the United Arab Emirates using satellite and ground observations. REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS : SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT 2022; 26:100757. [PMID: 36281297 PMCID: PMC9581513 DOI: 10.1016/j.rsase.2022.100757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures in 2020 significantly impacted people's mobility and air quality worldwide. This study presents an assessment of the impacts of the lockdown and the subsequent reopening on air quality and people's mobility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Google's community mobility reports and UAE's government lockdown measures were used to assess the changes in the mobility patterns. Time-series and statistical analyses of various air pollutants levels (NO2, O3, SO2, PM10, and aerosol optical depth-AOD) obtained from satellite images and ground monitoring stations were used to assess air quality. The levels of pollutants during the initial lockdown (March to June 2020) and the subsequent gradual reopening in 2020 and 2021 were compared with their average levels during 2015-2019. During the lockdown, people's mobility in the workplace, parks, shops and pharmacies, transit stations, and retail and recreation sectors decreased by about 34%-79%. However, the mobility in the residential sector increased by up to 29%. The satellite-based data indicated significant reductions in NO2 (up to 22%), SO2 (up to 17%), and AOD (up to 40%) with small changes in O3 (up to 5%) during the lockdown. Similarly, data from the ground monitoring stations showed significant reductions in NO2 (49% - 57%) and PM10 (19% - 64%); however, the SO2 and O3 levels showed inconsistent trends. The ground and satellite-based air quality levels were positively correlated for NO2, PM10, and AOD. The data also demonstrated significant correlations between the mobility and NO2 and AOD levels during the lockdown and recovery periods. The study documents the impacts of the lockdown on people's mobility and air quality and provides useful data and analyses for researchers, planners, and policymakers relevant to managing risk, mobility, and air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdallah Shanableh
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- GIS & Remote Sensing Center, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rami Al-Ruzouq
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- GIS & Remote Sensing Center, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khaled Hamad
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed Barakat A Gibril
- GIS & Remote Sensing Center, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohamad Ali Khalil
- GIS & Remote Sensing Center, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Inas Khalifa
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Yahya El Traboulsi
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Biswajeet Pradhan
- Centre for Advanced Modelling and Geospatial Information Systems (CAMGIS), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Earth Observation Center, Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ratiranjan Jena
- GIS & Remote Sensing Center, Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sama Alani
- Department of Civil Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4L8
| | - Mohamad Alhosani
- Division of Consultancy, Research & Innovation (CRI), Sharjah Environment Company-Bee'ah, Sharjah, 20248, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohammed Hashem Stietiya
- Division of Consultancy, Research & Innovation (CRI), Sharjah Environment Company-Bee'ah, Sharjah, 20248, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mayyada Al Bardan
- Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, Sharjah, 135, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saeed Al-Mansoori
- Applications Development and Analysis Section (ADAS), Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Dubai, 211833, United Arab Emirates
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10
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Retrieval of Black Carbon Absorption Aerosol Optical Depth from AERONET Observations over the World during 2000–2018. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14061510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Black carbon (BC) absorption aerosol optical depth (AAODBC) defines the contribution of BC in light absorption and is retrievable using sun/sky radiometer measurements provided by Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) inversion products. In this study, we utilized AERONET-retrieved depolarization ratio (DPR, δp), single scattering albedo (SSA, ω), and Ångström Exponent (AE, å) of version 3 level 2.0 products as indicators to estimate the contribution of BC to the absorbing fractions of AOD. We applied our methodology to the AERONET sites, including North and South America, Europe, East Asia, Africa, India, and the Middle East, during 2000–2018. The long-term AAODBC showed a downward tendency over Sao Paulo (−0.001 year−1), Thessaloniki (−0.0004 year−1), Beijing (−0.001 year−1), Seoul (−0.0015 year−1), and Cape Verde (−0.0009 year−1) with the highest values over the populous sites. This declining tendency in AAODBC can be attributable to the successful emission control policies over these sites, particularly in Europe, America, and China. The AAODBC at the Beijing, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, and the Indian sites showed a clear seasonality indicating the notable role of residential heating in BC emissions over these sites during winter. We found a higher correlation between AAODBC and fine mode AOD at 440 nm at all sites except for Beijing. High pollution episodes, BC emission from different sources, and aggregation properties seem to be the main drivers of higher AAODBC correlation with coarse particles over Beijing.
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11
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Cheng Y, Cao XB, Liu JM, Yu QQ, Wang P, Yan CQ, Du ZY, Liang LL, Zhang Q, He KB. Primary nature of brown carbon absorption in a frigid atmosphere with strong haze chemistry. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112324. [PMID: 34742712 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Severe haze hovered over Harbin during the heating season of 2019-2020, making it one of the ten most polluted Chinese cities in January of 2020. Here we focused on the optical properties and sources of brown carbon (BrC) during the extreme atmospheric pollution periods. Enhanced formation of secondary BrC (BrCsec) was evident as relative humidity (RH) became higher, accompanied with a decrease of ozone but concurrent increases of aerosol water content and secondary inorganic aerosols. These features were generally similar to the characteristics of haze chemistry observed during winter haze events in the North China Plain, and indicated that heterogeneous reactions involving aerosol water might be at play in the formation of BrCsec, despite the low temperatures in Harbin. Although BrCsec accounted for a substantial fraction of brown carbon mass, its contribution to BrC absorption was much smaller (6 vs. 28%), pointing to a lower mass absorption efficiency (MAE) of BrCsec compared to primary BrC. In addition, emissions of biomass burning BrC (BrCBB) were inferred to increase with increasing RH, coinciding with a large drop of temperature. Since both the less absorbing BrCsec and the more absorbing BrCBB increased as RH became higher, the MAE of total BrC were largely unchanged throughout the measurement period. This study unfolded the contrast in the source apportionment results of BrC mass and absorption, and could have implications for the simulation of radiative forcing by brown carbon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Xu-Bing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jiu-Meng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
| | - Qin-Qin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Longfengshan Regional Atmospheric Background Station, Heilongjiang Meteorological Bureau, Harbin, 150200, China
| | - Cai-Qing Yan
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Du
- National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Lin-Lin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather & CMA Key Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Ke-Bin He
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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12
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Ferrero L, Bernardoni V, Santagostini L, Cogliati S, Soldan F, Valentini S, Massabò D, Močnik G, Gregorič A, Rigler M, Prati P, Bigogno A, Losi N, Valli G, Vecchi R, Bolzacchini E. Consistent determination of the heating rate of light-absorbing aerosol using wavelength- and time-dependent Aethalometer multiple-scattering correction. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 791:148277. [PMID: 34119780 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Accurate and temporally consistent measurements of light absorbing aerosol (LAA) heating rate (HR) and of its source apportionment (fossil-fuel, FF; biomass-burning, BB) and speciation (black and brown Carbon; BC, BrC) are needed to evaluate LAA short-term climate forcing. For this purpose, wavelength- and time-dependent accurate LAA absorption coefficients are required. HR was experimentally determined and apportioned (sources/species) in the EMEP/ACTRIS/COLOSSAL-2018 winter campaign in Milan (urban-background site). Two Aethalometers (AE31/AE33) were installed together with a MAAP, CPC, OPC, a low volume sampler (PM2.5) and radiation instruments. AE31/AE33 multiple-scattering correction factors (C) were determined using two reference systems for the absorption coefficient: 1) 5-wavelength PP_UniMI with low time resolution (12 h, applied to PM2.5 samples); 2) timely-resolved MAAP data at a single wavelength. Using wavelength- and time-independent C values for the AE31 and AE33 obtained with the same reference device, the total HR showed a consistency (i.e. reproducibility) with average values comparable at 95% probability. However, if different reference devices/approaches are used, i.e. MAAP is chosen as reference instead of a PP_UniMI, the HR can be overestimated by 23-30% factor (by both AE31/AE33). This became more evident focusing on HR apportionment: AE33 data (corrected by a wavelength- and time-independent C) showed higher HRFF (+24 ± 1%) and higher HRBC (+10 ± 1%) than that of AE31. Conversely, HRBB and HRBrC were -28 ± 1% and -29 ± 1% lower for AE33 compared to AE31. These inconsistencies were overcome by introducing a wavelength-dependent Cλ for both AE31 and AE33, or using multi-wavelength apportionment methods, highlighting the need for further studies on the influence of wavelength corrections for HR determination. Finally, the temporally-resolved determination of C resulted in a diurnal cycle of the HR not statistically different whatever the source- speciation- apportionment used.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ferrero
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - V Bernardoni
- Dipartimento di Fisica "A. Pontremoli", Università degli Studi di Milano & INFN-Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - L Santagostini
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - S Cogliati
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy; Remote Sensing of Environmental Dynamics Lab., DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, P.zza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milano, Italy
| | - F Soldan
- Dipartimento di Fisica "A. Pontremoli", Università degli Studi di Milano & INFN-Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - S Valentini
- Dipartimento di Fisica "A. Pontremoli", Università degli Studi di Milano & INFN-Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - D Massabò
- Dip. di Fisica Università di Genova & INFN Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - G Močnik
- Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Nova Gorica, SI-5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia; Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - A Gregorič
- Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Nova Gorica, SI-5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia; Aerosol d.o.o., Kamniška 39A, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - M Rigler
- Aerosol d.o.o., Kamniška 39A, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - P Prati
- Dip. di Fisica Università di Genova & INFN Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy
| | - A Bigogno
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - N Losi
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - G Valli
- Dipartimento di Fisica "A. Pontremoli", Università degli Studi di Milano & INFN-Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - R Vecchi
- Dipartimento di Fisica "A. Pontremoli", Università degli Studi di Milano & INFN-Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - E Bolzacchini
- GEMMA and POLARIS Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy
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13
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Black BA, Lamarque JF, Marsh DR, Schmidt A, Bardeen CG. Global climate disruption and regional climate shelters after the Toba supereruption. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2013046118. [PMID: 34230096 PMCID: PMC8307270 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013046118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The Toba eruption ∼74,000 y ago was the largest volcanic eruption since the start of the Pleistocene and represents an important test case for understanding the effects of large explosive eruptions on climate and ecosystems. However, the magnitude and repercussions of climatic changes driven by the eruption are strongly debated. High-resolution paleoclimate and archaeological records from Africa find little evidence for the disruption of climate or human activity in the wake of the eruption in contrast with a controversial link with a bottleneck in human evolution and climate model simulations predicting strong volcanic cooling for up to a decade after a Toba-scale eruption. Here, we use a large ensemble of high-resolution Community Earth System Model (CESM1.3) simulations to reconcile climate model predictions with paleoclimate records, accounting for uncertainties in the magnitude of Toba sulfur emissions with high and low emission scenarios. We find a near-zero probability of annual mean surface temperature anomalies exceeding 4 °C in most of Africa in contrast with near 100% probabilities of cooling this severe in Asia and North America for the high sulfur emission case. The likelihood of strong decreases in precipitation is low in most of Africa. Therefore, even Toba sulfur release at the upper range of plausible estimates remains consistent with the muted response in Africa indicated by paleoclimate proxies. Our results provide a probabilistic view of the uneven patterns of volcanic climate disruption during a crucial interval in human evolution, with implications for understanding the range of environmental impacts from past and future supereruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Black
- Earth and Atmospheric Science, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031;
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10017
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08854
| | - Jean-François Lamarque
- Climate and Global Dynamics Lab, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80305
| | - Daniel R Marsh
- Climate and Global Dynamics Lab, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80305
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Anja Schmidt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
- Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1BY, United Kingdom
| | - Charles G Bardeen
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Lab, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80301
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14
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Kok JF, Adebiyi AA, Albani S, Balkanski Y, Checa-Garcia R, Chin M, Colarco PR, Hamilton DS, Huang Y, Ito A, Klose M, Leung DM, Li L, Mahowald NM, Miller RL, Obiso V, García-Pando CP, Rocha-Lima A, Wan JS, Whicker CA. Improved representation of the global dust cycle using observational constraints on dust properties and abundance. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 2021; 21:8127-8167. [PMID: 37649640 PMCID: PMC10466066 DOI: 10.5194/acp-21-8127-2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Even though desert dust is the most abundant aerosol by mass in Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric models struggle to accurately represent its spatial and temporal distribution. These model errors are partially caused by fundamental difficulties in simulating dust emission in coarse-resolution models and in accurately representing dust microphysical properties. Here we mitigate these problems by developing a new methodology that yields an improved representation of the global dust cycle. We present an analytical framework that uses inverse modeling to integrate an ensemble of global model simulations with observational constraints on the dust size distribution, extinction efficiency, and regional dust aerosol optical depth. We then compare the inverse model results against independent measurements of dust surface concentration and deposition flux and find that errors are reduced by approximately a factor of two relative to current model simulations of the Northern Hemisphere dust cycle. The inverse model results show smaller improvements in the less dusty Southern Hemisphere, most likely because both the model simulations and the observational constraints used in the inverse model are less accurate. On a global basis, we find that the emission flux of dust with geometric diameter up to 20 μm (PM20) is approximately 5,000 Tg/year, which is greater than most models account for. This larger PM20 dust flux is needed to match observational constraints showing a large atmospheric loading of coarse dust. We obtain gridded data sets of dust emission, vertically integrated loading, dust aerosol optical depth, (surface) concentration, and wet and dry deposition fluxes that are resolved by season and particle size. As our results indicate that this data set is more accurate than current model simulations and the MERRA-2 dust reanalysis product, it can be used to improve quantifications of dust impacts on the Earth system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper F. Kok
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University
of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Adeyemi A. Adebiyi
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University
of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Samuel Albani
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University
of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de
l’Environnement, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ-UPSaclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Yves Balkanski
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de
l’Environnement, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ-UPSaclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ramiro Checa-Garcia
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de
l’Environnement, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ-UPSaclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mian Chin
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Peter R. Colarco
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard
Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Douglas S. Hamilton
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Yue Huang
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University
of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Akinori Ito
- Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences, JAMSTEC, Yokohama,
Kanagawa 236-0001, Japan
| | - Martina Klose
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 08034 Barcelona,
Spain
| | - Danny M. Leung
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University
of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Longlei Li
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Natalie M. Mahowald
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Ron L. Miller
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York NY10025
USA
| | - Vincenzo Obiso
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 08034 Barcelona,
Spain
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York NY10025
USA
| | - Carlos Pérez García-Pando
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), 08034 Barcelona,
Spain
- ICREA, Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced
Studies, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adriana Rocha-Lima
- Physics Department, UMBC, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Joint Center Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology,
UMBC, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jessica S. Wan
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Chloe A. Whicker
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University
of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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15
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Biomass burning aerosols in most climate models are too absorbing. Nat Commun 2021; 12:277. [PMID: 33436592 PMCID: PMC7804930 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20482-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty in the representation of biomass burning (BB) aerosol composition and optical properties in climate models contributes to a range in modeled aerosol effects on incoming solar radiation. Depending on the model, the top-of-the-atmosphere BB aerosol effect can range from cooling to warming. By relating aerosol absorption relative to extinction and carbonaceous aerosol composition from 12 observational datasets to nine state-of-the-art Earth system models/chemical transport models, we identify varying degrees of overestimation in BB aerosol absorptivity by these models. Modifications to BB aerosol refractive index, size, and mixing state improve the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) agreement with observations, leading to a global change in BB direct radiative effect of -0.07 W m-2, and regional changes of -2 W m-2 (Africa) and -0.5 W m-2 (South America/Temperate). Our findings suggest that current modeled BB contributes less to warming than previously thought, largely due to treatments of aerosol mixing state.
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16
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Wildfire Smoke Particle Properties and Evolution, From Space-Based Multi-Angle Imaging II: The Williams Flats Fire during the FIREX-AQ Campaign. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12223823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although the characteristics of biomass burning events and the ambient ecosystem determine emitted smoke composition, the conditions that modulate the partitioning of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) formation are not well understood, nor are the spatial or temporal frequency of factors driving smoke particle evolution, such as hydration, coagulation, and oxidation, all of which impact smoke radiative forcing. In situ data from surface observation sites and aircraft field campaigns offer deep insight into the optical, chemical, and microphysical traits of biomass burning (BB) smoke aerosols, such as single scattering albedo (SSA) and size distribution, but cannot by themselves provide robust statistical characterization of both emitted and evolved particles. Data from the NASA Earth Observing System’s Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument can provide at least a partial picture of BB particle properties and their evolution downwind, once properly validated. Here we use in situ data from the joint NOAA/NASA 2019 Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments Experiment-Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) field campaign to assess the strengths and limitations of MISR-derived constraints on particle size, shape, light-absorption, and its spectral slope, as well as plume height and associated wind vectors. Based on the satellite observations, we also offer inferences about aging mechanisms effecting downwind particle evolution, such as gravitational settling, oxidation, secondary particle formation, and the combination of particle aggregation and condensational growth. This work builds upon our previous study, adding confidence to our interpretation of the remote-sensing data based on an expanded suite of in situ measurements for validation. The satellite and in situ measurements offer similar characterizations of particle property evolution as a function of smoke age for the 06 August Williams Flats Fire, and most of the key differences in particle size and absorption can be attributed to differences in sampling and changes in the plume geometry between sampling times. Whereas the aircraft data provide validation for the MISR retrievals, the satellite data offer a spatially continuous mapping of particle properties over the plume, which helps identify trends in particle property downwind evolution that are ambiguous in the sparsely sampled aircraft transects. The MISR data record is more than two decades long, offering future opportunities to study regional wildfire plume behavior statistically, where aircraft data are limited or entirely lacking.
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17
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Meng L, Wang G, Augustin P, Fourmentin M, Gou Q, Fertein E, Nguyen Ba T, Coeur C, Tomas A, Chen W. Incoherent broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (IBBCEAS)-based strategy for direct measurement of aerosol extinction in a lidar blind zone. OPTICS LETTERS 2020; 45:1611-1614. [PMID: 32235955 DOI: 10.1364/ol.389093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this Letter, the development of a custom-designed incoherent broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectrometer (IBBCEAS) and its application to in situ measurement of aerosol extinction near the ground surface are described in an effort to address the issue of missing data in the light detection and ranging (lidar) blind zone in the first hundreds of meters of the observation range. Combined measurements of aerosol extinction at the same location using lidar remote sensing at 355 nm and in situ IBBCEAS operating in the UV spectral region around 370 nm showed results with a good correlation (${{\rm R}^2} = {0.90}$R2=0.90) between the two measurement techniques. This Letter highlights a new strategy for near-end lidar calibration, using a ground-based compact and robust IBBCEAS located at the lidar measurement site to determine the vertical profile of the aerosol extinction coefficient with a higher accuracy.
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18
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Adebiyi AA, Kok JF. Climate models miss most of the coarse dust in the atmosphere. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaaz9507. [PMID: 32285006 PMCID: PMC7141824 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz9507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coarse mineral dust (diameter, ≥5 μm) is an important component of the Earth system that affects clouds, ocean ecosystems, and climate. Despite their significance, climate models consistently underestimate the amount of coarse dust in the atmosphere when compared to measurements. Here, we estimate the global load of coarse dust using a framework that leverages dozens of measurements of atmospheric dust size distributions. We find that the atmosphere contains 17 Tg of coarse dust, which is four times more than current climate models simulate. Our findings indicate that models deposit coarse dust out of the atmosphere too quickly. Accounting for this missing coarse dust adds a warming effect of 0.15 W·m-2 and increases the likelihood that dust net warms the climate system. We conclude that to properly represent the impact of dust on the Earth system, climate models must include an accurate treatment of coarse dust in the atmosphere.
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19
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Wildfire Smoke Particle Properties and Evolution, from Space-Based Multi-Angle Imaging. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12050769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Emitted smoke composition is determined by properties of the biomass burning source and ambient ecosystem. However, conditions that mediate the partitioning of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) formation, as well as the spatial and temporal factors that drive particle evolution, are not understood adequately for many climate and air-quality related modeling applications. In situ observations provide considerable detail about aerosol microphysical and chemical properties, although sampling is extremely limited. Satellites offer the frequent global coverage that would allow for statistical characterization of emitted and evolved smoke, but generally lack microphysical detail. However, once properly validated, data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observing System’s Multi-Angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) instrument can create at least a partial picture of smoke particle properties and plume evolution. We use in situ data from the Department of Energy’s Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) field campaign to assess the strengths and limitations of smoke particle retrieval results from the MISR Research Aerosol (RA) retrieval algorithm. We then use MISR to characterize wildfire smoke particle properties and to identify the relevant aging factors in several cases, to the extent possible. The RA successfully maps qualitative changes in effective particle size, light absorption, and its spectral dependence, when compared to in situ observations. By observing the entire plume uniformly, the satellite data can be interpreted in terms of smoke plume evolution, including size-selective deposition, new-particle formation, and locations within the plume where BC or BrC dominates.
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20
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A Climatological Satellite Assessment of Absorbing Carbonaceous Aerosols on a Global Scale. ATMOSPHERE 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos10110671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A global climatology of absorbing carbonaceous aerosols (ACA) for the period 2005–2015 is obtained by using satellite MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer)-Aqua and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument)-Aura aerosol optical properties and by applying an algorithm. The algorithm determines the frequency of presence of ACA (black and brown carbon) over the globe at 1° × 1° pixel level and on a daily basis. The results of the algorithm indicate high frequencies of ACA (up to 19 days/month) over world regions with extended biomass burning, such as the tropical forests of southern and central Africa, South America and equatorial Asia, over savannas, cropland areas or boreal forests, as well as over urban and rural areas with intense anthropogenic activities, such as the eastern coast of China or the Indo-Gangetic plain. A clear seasonality of the frequency of occurrence of ACA is evident, with increased values during June–October over southern Africa, during July–November over South America, August–November over Indonesia, November–March over central Africa and November–April over southeastern Asia. The estimated seasonality of ACA is in line with the known annual patterns of worldwide biomass-burning emissions, while other features such as the export of carbonaceous aerosols from southern Africa to the southeastern Atlantic Ocean are also successfully reproduced by the algorithm. The results indicate a noticeable interannual variability and tendencies of ACA over specific world regions during 2005–2015, such as statistically significant increasing frequency of occurrence over southern Africa and eastern Asia.
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21
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Wang Y, Ma P, Peng J, Zhang R, Jiang JH, Easter RC, Yung YL. Constraining Aging Processes of Black Carbon in the Community Atmosphere Model Using Environmental Chamber Measurements. JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS 2018; 10:2514-2526. [PMID: 31031881 PMCID: PMC6472719 DOI: 10.1029/2018ms001387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The direct radiative forcing of black carbon aerosol (BC) on the Earth system remains unsettled, largely due to the uncertainty with physical properties of BC throughout their lifecycle. Here we show that ambient chamber measurements of BC properties provide a novel constraint on the crude BC aging representation in climate models. Observational evidence for significant absorption enhancement of BC can be reproduced when the aging processes in the four-mode version of the Modal Aerosol Module (MAM4) aerosol scheme in the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 are calibrated by the recent in situ chamber measurements. An observation-based scaling method is developed in the aging timescale calculation to alleviate the influence of biases in the simulated model chemical composition. Model sensitivity simulations suggest that the different monolayer settings in the BC aging parameterization of MAM4 can cause as large as 26% and 24% differences in BC burden and radiative forcing, respectively. We also find that an increase in coating materials (e.g., sulfate and secondary organic aerosols) reduces BC lifetime by increasing the hygroscopicity of the mixture but enhances its absorption, resulting in a net increase in BC direct radiative forcing. Our results suggest that accurate simulations of BC aging processes as well as other aerosol species are equally important in reducing the uncertainty of BC forcing estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Po‐Lun Ma
- Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change DivisionPacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWAUSA
| | - Jianfei Peng
- Department of Atmospheric SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
| | - Renyi Zhang
- Department of Atmospheric SciencesTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
| | - Jonathan H. Jiang
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Richard C. Easter
- Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change DivisionPacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWAUSA
| | - Yuk L. Yung
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
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