A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe

A reliable assessment of the optical properties of atmospheric black carbon is of crucial importance for an accurate estimation of radiative forcing. In this study we investigated the spatio-temporal variability of the mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of atmospheric black carbon, defined as light...

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Autores: Zanatta, Marco, Alastuey, Andrés, Pandolfi, Marco, Laj, Paolo G.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/174925
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/174925
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Black carbon
ACTRIS
Ebas
Elemental carbon
Atmosphere
Light absorption
Europe
Mass absorption cross-section
MAC
Photometer
Radiative forcing
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network_name_str España
repository_id_str
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
title A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
spellingShingle A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
Zanatta, Marco
Black carbon
ACTRIS
Ebas
Elemental carbon
Atmosphere
Light absorption
Europe
Mass absorption cross-section
MAC
Photometer
Radiative forcing
title_short A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
title_full A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
title_fullStr A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
title_full_unstemmed A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
title_sort A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Zanatta, Marco
Alastuey, Andrés
Pandolfi, Marco
Laj, Paolo G.
author Zanatta, Marco
author_facet Zanatta, Marco
Alastuey, Andrés
Pandolfi, Marco
Laj, Paolo G.
author_role author
author2 Alastuey, Andrés
Pandolfi, Marco
Laj, Paolo G.
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv European Commission
European Research Council
Alastuey, Andrés [0000-0002-5453-5495]
Pandolfi, Marco [0000-0002-7493-7213]
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Black carbon
ACTRIS
Ebas
Elemental carbon
Atmosphere
Light absorption
Europe
Mass absorption cross-section
MAC
Photometer
Radiative forcing
topic Black carbon
ACTRIS
Ebas
Elemental carbon
Atmosphere
Light absorption
Europe
Mass absorption cross-section
MAC
Photometer
Radiative forcing
description A reliable assessment of the optical properties of atmospheric black carbon is of crucial importance for an accurate estimation of radiative forcing. In this study we investigated the spatio-temporal variability of the mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of atmospheric black carbon, defined as light absorption coefficient (σap) divided by elemental carbon mass concentration (mEC). σap and mEC have been monitored at supersites of the ACTRIS network for a minimum period of one year. The 9 rural background sites considered in this study cover southern Scandinavia, central Europe and the Mediterranean. σap was determined using filter based absorption photometers and mEC using a thermal-optical technique. Homogeneity of the data-set was ensured by harmonization of all involved methods and instruments during extensive intercomparison exercises at the European Center for Aerosol Calibration (ECAC). Annual mean values of σap at a wavelength of 637 nm vary between 0.66 and 1.3 Mm−1 in southern Scandinavia, 3.7–11 Mm−1 in Central Europe and the British Isles, and 2.3–2.8 Mm−1 in the Mediterranean. Annual mean values of mEC vary between 0.084 and 0.23 μg m−3 in southern Scandinavia, 0.28–1.1 in Central Europe and the British Isles, and 0.22–0.26 in the Mediterranean. Both σap and mEC in southern Scandinavia and Central Europe have a distinct seasonality with maxima during the cold season and minima during summer, whereas at the Mediterranean sites an opposite trend was observed. Annual mean MAC values were quite similar across all sites and the seasonal variability was small at most sites. Consequently, a MAC value of 10.0 m2 g−1 (geometric standard deviation = 1.33) at a wavelength of 637 nm can be considered to be representative of the mixed boundary layer at European background sites, where BC is expected to be internally mixed to a large extent. The observed spatial variability is rather small compared to the variability of values in previous literature, indicating that the harmonization efforts resulted in substantially increased precision of the reported MAC. However, absolute uncertainties of the reported MAC values remain as high as ± 30–70% due to the lack of appropriate reference methods and calibration materials. The mass ratio between elemental carbon and non-light-absorbing matter was used as a proxy for the thickness of coatings around the BC cores, in order to assess the influence of the mixing state on the MAC of BC. Indeed, the MAC was found to increase with increasing values of the coating thickness proxy. This provides evidence that coatings do increase the MAC of atmospheric BC to some extent, which is commonly referred to as lensing effect. © 2016 The Authors
publishDate 2016
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2016
2019
2019
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/174925
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/174925
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/262254
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/654109
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.09.035

dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Elsevier
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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spelling A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across EuropeZanatta, MarcoAlastuey, AndrésPandolfi, MarcoLaj, Paolo G.Black carbonACTRISEbasElemental carbonAtmosphereLight absorptionEuropeMass absorption cross-sectionMACPhotometerRadiative forcingA reliable assessment of the optical properties of atmospheric black carbon is of crucial importance for an accurate estimation of radiative forcing. In this study we investigated the spatio-temporal variability of the mass absorption cross-section (MAC) of atmospheric black carbon, defined as light absorption coefficient (σap) divided by elemental carbon mass concentration (mEC). σap and mEC have been monitored at supersites of the ACTRIS network for a minimum period of one year. The 9 rural background sites considered in this study cover southern Scandinavia, central Europe and the Mediterranean. σap was determined using filter based absorption photometers and mEC using a thermal-optical technique. Homogeneity of the data-set was ensured by harmonization of all involved methods and instruments during extensive intercomparison exercises at the European Center for Aerosol Calibration (ECAC). Annual mean values of σap at a wavelength of 637 nm vary between 0.66 and 1.3 Mm−1 in southern Scandinavia, 3.7–11 Mm−1 in Central Europe and the British Isles, and 2.3–2.8 Mm−1 in the Mediterranean. Annual mean values of mEC vary between 0.084 and 0.23 μg m−3 in southern Scandinavia, 0.28–1.1 in Central Europe and the British Isles, and 0.22–0.26 in the Mediterranean. Both σap and mEC in southern Scandinavia and Central Europe have a distinct seasonality with maxima during the cold season and minima during summer, whereas at the Mediterranean sites an opposite trend was observed. Annual mean MAC values were quite similar across all sites and the seasonal variability was small at most sites. Consequently, a MAC value of 10.0 m2 g−1 (geometric standard deviation = 1.33) at a wavelength of 637 nm can be considered to be representative of the mixed boundary layer at European background sites, where BC is expected to be internally mixed to a large extent. The observed spatial variability is rather small compared to the variability of values in previous literature, indicating that the harmonization efforts resulted in substantially increased precision of the reported MAC. However, absolute uncertainties of the reported MAC values remain as high as ± 30–70% due to the lack of appropriate reference methods and calibration materials. The mass ratio between elemental carbon and non-light-absorbing matter was used as a proxy for the thickness of coatings around the BC cores, in order to assess the influence of the mixing state on the MAC of BC. Indeed, the MAC was found to increase with increasing values of the coating thickness proxy. This provides evidence that coatings do increase the MAC of atmospheric BC to some extent, which is commonly referred to as lensing effect. © 2016 The AuthorsThe research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (ACTRIS, FP7/2007-2013, grant agreement no. 262254 ). ACTRIS-2 is a European Project supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme (ACTRIS-2, H2020-INFRAIA-2014-2015, grant agreement no. 654109 ). This work was also supported by grants from Labex OSUG@2020 (PhD investissements d'avenir – ANR10 LABX56) and from the European Research Council (ERC-CoG 615922-BLACARAT). Appendix A.Peer reviewedElsevierEuropean CommissionEuropean Research CouncilAlastuey, Andrés [0000-0002-5453-5495]Pandolfi, Marco [0000-0002-7493-7213]Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]201920192016info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/174925reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/262254info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/654109https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.09.035Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/1749252026-05-22T06:33:51Z
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