Characterization of Speciated Aerosol Direct Radiative Forcing Over California
A fully coupled meteorology-chemistry model (WRF-Chem) with added capability of diagnosing the spatial and seasonal distribution of radiative forcings for individual aerosol species over California is used to characterize the radiative forcing of speciated aerosols in California. Model simulations for the year of 2005 are evaluated with various observations including meteorological data from California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS), aerosol mass concentrations from US EPA Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE), and aerosol optical depth from AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) and satellites. The model well captures the observed seasonal meteorological conditions over California. Overall, the simulation is able to reproduce the observed spatial and seasonal distribution of mass concentration of total PM2.5 and the relative contribution from individual aerosol species, except the model significantly underestimates the surface concentrations of organic matter (OM) and elemental carbon (EC), potentially due to uncertainty in the anthropogenic emissions of OM and EC and the outdated secondary organic aerosol mechanism used in the model. A sensitivity simulation with anthropogenic EC emission doubled significantly reduces the model low bias of EC. The simulation reveals high anthropogenic aerosol loading over the Central Valley and the Los Angeles metropolitan regions and high natural aerosol (dust) loading over southeastern California. The seasonality of aerosol surface concentration is mainly determined by vertical turbulent mixing, ventilation, and photochemical activity, with distinct characteristics for individual aerosol species and between urban and rural areas. The simulations show that anthropogenic aerosols dominate the aerosol optical depth (AOD). The ratio of AOD to AAOD (aerosol absorption optical depth) shows distinct seasonality with a winter maximum and a summer minimum. Aerosol radiative forcing is presented along with the contribution from individual aerosol species from the simulation with anthropogenic EC emission doubled. On statewide average over California, aerosol reduces the seasonal-average surface radiation fluxes by about 3 W m-2 with a maximum of 10 W m-2 in summer. In the atmosphere, aerosol introduces a warming effect of about 2 W m-2 with a maximum of 10 W m-2 also in summer. EC and dust contribute about 75-95% and 1-10% of the total warming through the seasons, respectively. At the top of atmosphere (TOA), the overall aerosol radiative effect is cooling with a maximum of -3.5 W m-2. EC contributes exclusively to the TOA warming of up to about 0.7 W m-2. The encouraging performance of WRF-Chem in simulating aerosols and their radiative forcing suggests that the model is suitable for further investigation of the impact of emission control on radiative forcing and regional climate over California.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 1076701
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-88525; KP1703020
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 118(5):2372–2388, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 118(5):2372–2388
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
WRF-Chem Simulations of Aerosols and Anthropogenic Aerosol Radiative Forcing in East Asia
Impact of biomass burning aerosols on radiation, clouds, and precipitation over the Amazon: relative importance of aerosol–cloud and aerosol–radiation interactions