Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Sources of black carbon aerosols in South Asia and surrounding regions during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB)

Journal Article · · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [6]
  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Thiruvanantpuram (India)
  3. Indian Inst. of Science, Bangalore (India). Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic. Sciences
  4. Indian Space Research Organization (HQ), Bangalore (India)
  5. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States). Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research.
  6. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

This study examines differences in the surface black carbon (BC) aerosol loading between the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and the Arabian Sea (AS) and identifies dominant sources of BC in South Asia and surrounding regions during March–May 2006 (Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget, ICARB) period. A total of 13 BC tracers are introduced in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled with Chemistry to address these objectives. The model reproduced the temporal and spatial variability of BC distribution observed over the AS and the BoB during the ICARB ship cruise and captured spatial variability at the inland sites. In general, the model underestimates the observed BC mass concentrations. However, the model–observation discrepancy in this study is smaller compared to previous studies. Model results show that ICARB measurements were fairly well representative of the AS and the BoB during the pre-monsoon season. Elevated BC mass concentrations in the BoB are due to 5 times stronger influence of anthropogenic emissions on the BoB compared to the AS. Biomass burning in Burma also affects the BoB much more strongly than the AS. Results show that anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions, respectively, accounted for 60 and 37% of the average ± standard deviation (representing spatial and temporal variability) BC mass concentration (1341 ± 2353 ng m-3) in South Asia. BC emissions from residential (61%) and industrial (23%) sectors are the major anthropogenic sources, except in the Himalayas where vehicular emissions dominate. We find that regional-scale transport of anthropogenic emissions contributes up to 25% of BC mass concentrations in western and eastern India, suggesting that surface BC mass concentrations cannot be linked directly to the local emissions in different regions of South Asia.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1209237
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1239589
Journal Information:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online), Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 15; ISSN 1680-7324
Publisher:
European Geosciences UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (62)

Global budget and radiative forcing of black carbon aerosol: Constraints from pole-to-pole (HIPPO) observations across the Pacific: GLOBAL BC BUDGET AND RADIATIVE FORCING journal January 2014
What controls the seasonal cycle of black carbon aerosols in India? journal August 2015
Atmospheric Aerosols: Composition, Transformation, Climate and Health Effects journal November 2005
Earlier onset of the Indian monsoon in the late twentieth century: The role of anthropogenic aerosols: AEROSOLS AND INDIAN MONSOON ONSET journal July 2013
Source attribution of carbon monoxide in India and surrounding regions during wintertime: CONTRIBUTION OF CO SOURCES IN INDIA journal February 2013
Bounding the role of black carbon in the climate system: A scientific assessment: BLACK CARBON IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM journal June 2013
The parametrization of surface fluxes in large-scale models under free convection journal January 1995
Asian summer monsoon anomalies induced by aerosol direct forcing: the role of the Tibetan Plateau journal February 2006
Evolution of anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions of air pollutants at global and regional scales during the 1980–2010 period journal August 2011
Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB): An overview journal July 2008
Parameterization of surface resistances to gaseous dry deposition in regional-scale numerical models journal January 1989
The importance of carbon and mineral dust to seasonal aerosol properties in the Nepal Himalaya journal June 2003
Fully coupled “online” chemistry within the WRF model journal December 2005
Spatial distribution of aerosol black carbon over India during pre-monsoon season journal February 2009
Climate forcing by the on-road transportation and power generation sectors journal June 2009
Attribution of aerosol radiative forcing over India during the winter monsoon to emissions from source categories and geographical regions journal August 2011
Surface distributions of O3, CO and hydrocarbons over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea during pre-monsoon season journal February 2012
Performance evaluation of chemistry transport models over India journal June 2013
Sources and distributions of dust aerosols simulated with the GOCART model journal September 2001
A generalized approach to parameterizing convection combining ensemble and data assimilation techniques: PARAMETERIZING CONVECTION COMBINING ENSEMBLE AND DATA ASSIMILATION TECHNIQUES journal July 2002
Aerosol black carbon over Arabian Sea during intermonsoon and summer monsoon seasons: BLACK CARBON AEROSOLS OVER ARABIAN SEA journal March 2004
Aerosol optical depths and direct radiative perturbations by species and source type: AEROSOL RADIATIVE PERTURBATION BY SPECIES AND SOURCE TYPE journal June 2005
MIRAGE: Model description and evaluation of aerosols and trace gases journal January 2004
Assessment of the global impact of aerosols on tropospheric oxidants journal January 2005
Evolution of ozone, particulates, and aerosol direct radiative forcing in the vicinity of Houston using a fully coupled meteorology-chemistry-aerosol model journal January 2006
Historical emissions of black and organic carbon aerosol from energy-related combustion, 1850-2000: HISTORICAL BC/OC EMISSIONS journal May 2007
Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry (MOSAIC) journal January 2008
Carbonaceous aerosol composition over various regions of China during 2006 journal January 2008
Aerosol characteristics in the marine atmospheric boundary layer over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea during ICARB: Spatial distribution and latitudinal and longitudinal gradients journal January 2008
Radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases: Calculations with the AER radiative transfer models journal January 2008
Aerosol temporal characteristics and its impact on shortwave radiative forcing at a location in the northeast of India journal January 2010
A 1 year record of carbonaceous aerosols from an urban site in the Indo-Gangetic Plain: Characterization, sources, and temporal variability: CARBONACEOUS AEROSOLS OVER IGP journal December 2010
Boundary layer versus free tropospheric CO budget and variability over the United States during summertime: CO BUDGET AND VARIABILITY OVER THE U.S. journal February 2012
Simulation of South Asian aerosols for regional climate studies: SIMULATION OF SOUTH ASIAN AEROSOLS journal February 2012
The Regional Particulate Matter Model: 1. Model description and preliminary results journal January 1995
Large differences in tropical aerosol forcing at the top of the atmosphere and Earth's surface journal May 2000
How shorter black carbon lifetime alters its climate effect journal September 2014
Global and regional climate changes due to black carbon journal March 2008
Cardiovascular Risks from Fine Particulate Air Pollution journal February 2007
Atmospheric brown clouds: Impacts on South Asian climate and hydrological cycle journal March 2005
Attribution of climate forcing to economic sectors journal February 2010
Brown Clouds over South Asia: Biomass or Fossil Fuel Combustion? journal January 2009
Impact of Cloud Microphysics on the Development of Trailing Stratiform Precipitation in a Simulated Squall Line: Comparison of One- and Two-Moment Schemes journal March 2009
A New Vertical Diffusion Package with an Explicit Treatment of Entrainment Processes journal September 2006
Black carbon aerosols over the Himalayas: direct and surface albedo forcing journal September 2013
Atmospheric pollutant outflow from southern Asia: a review journal January 2010
Black carbon aerosols and the third polar ice cap journal January 2010
Estimated impact of black carbon deposition during pre-monsoon season from Nepal Climate Observatory – Pyramid data and snow albedo changes over Himalayan glaciers journal January 2010
Atmospheric Brown Clouds in the Himalayas: first two years of continuous observations at the Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (5079 m) journal January 2010
CO source contribution analysis for California during ARCTAS-CARB journal January 2011
Sulfur dioxide and primary carbonaceous aerosol emissions in China and India, 1996–2010 journal January 2011
Toward a more physical representation of precipitation scavenging in global chemistry models: cloud overlap and ice physics and their impact on tropospheric ozone journal January 2012
Air quality in Delhi during the Commonwealth Games journal January 2014
WRF-Chem simulations of a typical pre-monsoon dust storm in northern India: influences on aerosol optical properties and radiation budget journal January 2014
Simulation of semi-explicit mechanisms of SOA formation from glyoxal in aerosol in a 3-D model journal January 2014
Effects of dust aerosols on tropospheric chemistry during a typical pre-monsoon season dust storm in northern India journal January 2014
Estimates of global terrestrial isoprene emissions using MEGAN (Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature) journal January 2006
Including the sub-grid scale plume rise of vegetation fires in low resolution atmospheric transport models journal January 2007
Description and evaluation of the Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers, version 4 (MOZART-4) journal January 2010
The Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN): a high resolution global model to estimate the emissions from open burning journal January 2011
Simulations over South Asia using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem): set-up and meteorological evaluation journal January 2012
Simulations over South Asia using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem): chemistry evaluation and initial results journal January 2012

Cited By (8)

What controls the seasonal cycle of black carbon aerosols in India? journal August 2015
How Will Air Quality Change in South Asia by 2050? journal February 2018
Carbonaceous aerosols over Pune and Hyderabad (India) and influence of meteorological factors journal July 2015
Residential energy use emissions dominate health impacts from exposure to ambient particulate matter in India journal February 2018
Multi-Model Evaluation of Meteorological Drivers, Air Pollutants and Quantification of Emission Sources over the Upper Brahmaputra Basin journal November 2019
The impact of residential combustion emissions on atmospheric aerosol, human health, and climate journal January 2016
Variations in O 3 , CO, and CH 4 over the Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon season: shipborne measurements and model simulations journal January 2017
Variations in O3, CO, and CH4 over the Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon season: Ship-borne measurements and model simulations posted_content July 2016

Similar Records

Sources of black carbon aerosols in South Asia and surrounding regions during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB)
Journal Article · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 2014 · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · OSTI ID:1239589

Origin of surface and columnar Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) aerosols using source- and region-tagged emissions transport in a general circulation model - article no. D24211
Journal Article · Sun Dec 14 23:00:00 EST 2008 · Journal of Geophysical Research · OSTI ID:21149583

Climate response of the South Asian monsoon system to anthropogenic aerosols
Journal Article · Fri Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres) · OSTI ID:1047366

Related Subjects