Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect
<p>Brown carbon (BrC) plays a significant role in altering atmospheric radiation. Beyond biomass and biofuel combustion, recent studies identify fossil fuel sources – especially residential coal burning and vehicle exhaust – as major contributors to BrC. This underscores a gap in climate model...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/7563/2025/acp-25-7563-2025.pdf |
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| author | J. Zhou J. Zhou J. Wu X. Su R. Wang I. EI Haddad X. Li Q. Jiang T. Zhang W. Dai J. Cao A. S. H. Prevot X. Tie G. Li |
| author_facet | J. Zhou J. Zhou J. Wu X. Su R. Wang I. EI Haddad X. Li Q. Jiang T. Zhang W. Dai J. Cao A. S. H. Prevot X. Tie G. Li |
| author_sort | J. Zhou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Brown carbon (BrC) plays a significant role in altering atmospheric radiation. Beyond biomass and biofuel combustion, recent studies identify fossil fuel sources – especially residential coal burning and vehicle exhaust – as major contributors to BrC. This underscores a gap in climate models, which often assume fossil fuel organic aerosols (OAs) are non-absorbing or treat all OA as light-scattering. In this study, we simulate BrC over the North China Plain (NCP) during a winter pollution event using the WRF-Chem model, incorporating explicit BrC absorption properties. The model aligns well with observed pollutant and aerosol levels, revealing an average near-surface BrC concentration of 5.2 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>g m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span>, contributing 16.4 % to aerosol absorption at 365 nm. Using a diagnostic adjoint approach, we estimate that BrC exerts a direct radiative effect (DRE) averaging <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.09 W m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> at the top of the atmosphere, reducing the cooling effect of organic carbon by 28.0 % and producing a local warming effect of up to <span class="inline-formula">+</span>0.40 W m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span>. Coal combustion is the largest BrC source in the NCP in 2014, though secondary BrC also significantly impacts the regional radiation balance.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b74020e7d7c9475b8024ad1e5d236313 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-b74020e7d7c9475b8024ad1e5d2363132025-08-20T03:24:56ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242025-07-01257563758010.5194/acp-25-7563-2025Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effectJ. Zhou0J. Zhou1J. Wu2X. Su3R. Wang4I. EI Haddad5X. Li6Q. Jiang7T. Zhang8W. Dai9J. Cao10A. S. H. Prevot11X. Tie12G. Li13State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaNational Observation and Research Station of Regional Ecological Environment Change and Comprehensive Management in the Guanzhong Plain, Xi'an 710061, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaPSI Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, SwitzerlandState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaPSI Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, SwitzerlandState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China<p>Brown carbon (BrC) plays a significant role in altering atmospheric radiation. Beyond biomass and biofuel combustion, recent studies identify fossil fuel sources – especially residential coal burning and vehicle exhaust – as major contributors to BrC. This underscores a gap in climate models, which often assume fossil fuel organic aerosols (OAs) are non-absorbing or treat all OA as light-scattering. In this study, we simulate BrC over the North China Plain (NCP) during a winter pollution event using the WRF-Chem model, incorporating explicit BrC absorption properties. The model aligns well with observed pollutant and aerosol levels, revealing an average near-surface BrC concentration of 5.2 <span class="inline-formula">µ</span>g m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−3</sup></span>, contributing 16.4 % to aerosol absorption at 365 nm. Using a diagnostic adjoint approach, we estimate that BrC exerts a direct radiative effect (DRE) averaging <span class="inline-formula">−</span>0.09 W m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> at the top of the atmosphere, reducing the cooling effect of organic carbon by 28.0 % and producing a local warming effect of up to <span class="inline-formula">+</span>0.40 W m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span>. Coal combustion is the largest BrC source in the NCP in 2014, though secondary BrC also significantly impacts the regional radiation balance.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/7563/2025/acp-25-7563-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Zhou J. Zhou J. Wu X. Su R. Wang I. EI Haddad X. Li Q. Jiang T. Zhang W. Dai J. Cao A. S. H. Prevot X. Tie G. Li Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect |
| title_full | Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect |
| title_fullStr | Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect |
| title_full_unstemmed | Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect |
| title_short | Source-explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the North China Plain: implications for distribution, absorption, and the direct radiative effect |
| title_sort | source explicit estimation of brown carbon in the polluted atmosphere over the north china plain implications for distribution absorption and the direct radiative effect |
| url | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/25/7563/2025/acp-25-7563-2025.pdf |
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