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Enhanced light absorption for solid-state brown carbon from wildfires due to organic and water coatings

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [4];  [1];  [1];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [7];  [7];  [1];  [8];  [7];  [7]
  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
  2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL); Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)
  3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL); The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)
  4. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL); Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
  5. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL); Rainmaker Technology Corporation, El Segundo, CA (United States)
  6. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  7. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
  8. Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)
Wildfires emit solid-state strongly absorptive brown carbon (solid S-BrC, commonly known as tar ball), critical to Earth’s radiation budget and climate, but their highly variable light absorption properties are typically not accounted for in climate models. Here, we show that from a Pacific Northwest wildfire, over 90% of particles are solid S-BrC with a mean refractive index of 1.49 + 0.056i at 550 nm. Model sensitivity studies show refractive index variation can cause a ~200% difference in regional absorption aerosol optical depth. We show that ~50% of solid S-BrC particles from this sample uptake water above 97% relative humidity. We hypothesize these results from a hygroscopic organic coating, potentially facilitating solid S-BrC as nuclei for cloud droplets. This water uptake doubles absorption at 550 nm and the organic coating on solid S-BrC can lead to even higher absorption enhancements than water. Incorporating solid S-BrC and water interactions should improve Earth’s radiation budget predictions.
Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
2478987
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2479424
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-- 199989
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 15; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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