Biomass burning dominates brown carbon absorption in the rural southeastern United States

C. A Brock; H Guo; L Xu; R. J Weber; N. L Ng; H. M Allen; B R Ayres; K Baumann; R. C Cohen; D. C Draper; K. C Duffey; E Edgerton; J. L Fry; W. W Hu; J. L Jimenez; B. B Palm; P Romer; E. A Stone; P. J Wooldridge; R. A Washenfelder; A. R Attwood; S S Brown

doi:10.1002/2014GL062444

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Biomass burning dominates brown carbon absorption in the rural southeastern United States

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Biomass burning dominates brown carbon absorption in the rural southeastern United States

C. A Brock, H Guo, L Xu, R. J Weber, N. L Ng, H. M Allen, B R Ayres, K Baumann, R. C Cohen, D. C Draper, …

Geophysical Research Letters, Vol.42(2), pp.653-664

01/28/2015

DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062444

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Abstract

Brown carbon aerosol consists of light‐absorbing organic particulate matter with wavelength‐dependent absorption. Aerosol optical extinction, absorption, size distributions, and chemical composition were measured in rural Alabama during summer 2013. The field site was well located to examine sources of brown carbon aerosol, with influence by high biogenic organic aerosol concentrations, pollution from two nearby cities, and biomass burning aerosol. We report the optical closure between measured dry aerosol extinction at 365 nm and calculated extinction from composition and size distribution, showing agreement within experiment uncertainties. We find that aerosol optical extinction is dominated by scattering, with single‐scattering albedo values of 0.94 ± 0.02. Black carbon aerosol accounts for 91 ± 9% of the total carbonaceous aerosol absorption at 365 nm, while organic aerosol accounts for 9 ± 9%. The majority of brown carbon aerosol mass is associated with biomass burning, with smaller contributions from biogenically derived secondary organic aerosol. Key Points - Aerosol optical extinction in the southeastern U.S. is dominated by scattering - Black carbon is a more significant absorber than organic carbon at 365 nm - Biomass burning makes the largest contribution to organic aerosol absorption

cavity‐enhanced spectroscopy

Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study

biomass burning

brown carbon

atmospheric aerosol

aerosol optical properties

Details

Title: Subtitle: Biomass burning dominates brown carbon absorption in the rural southeastern United States
Creators: C. A Brock - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
H Guo - Georgia Institute of Technology
L Xu - Georgia Institute of Technology
R. J Weber - Georgia Institute of Technology
N. L Ng - Georgia Institute of Technology
H. M Allen - California Institute of Technology
B R Ayres - Reed College
K Baumann - Atmospheric Research & Analysis, Inc
R. C Cohen - University of California
D. C Draper - University of California
K. C Duffey - University of California
E Edgerton - Atmospheric Research & Analysis, Inc
J. L Fry - Reed College
W. W Hu - University of Colorado Boulder
J. L Jimenez - University of Colorado Boulder
B. B Palm - University of Colorado Boulder
P Romer - University of California
E. A Stone - University of Iowa, Chemistry
P. J Wooldridge - University of California
R. A Washenfelder - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
A. R Attwood - Now at Horiba Scientific
S S Brown - University of Colorado Boulder
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol.42(2), pp.653-664
DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062444
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Number of pages: 12
Grant note: NOAA (NA13OAR4310063) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (DE‐SC0011105) National Science Foundation (1243354) EPA (STAR‐83540101)
Language: English
Date published: 01/28/2015
Academic Unit: Chemistry; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Record Identifier: 9983985858002771

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