Journal article
Brown Carbon in East Asia: Seasonality, Sources, and Influences on Regional Climate and Air Quality
ACS Environmental Au, Vol.5(1), pp.128-137
01/15/2025
DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.4c00080
PMCID: PMC11741057
PMID: 39830717
Abstract
Brown carbon (BrC) has been recognized as an important light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosol, yet understanding of its influence on regional climate and air quality has been lacking, mainly due to the ignorance of regional coupled meteorology-chemistry models. Besides, assumptions about its emissions in previous explorations might cause large uncertainties in estimates. Here, we implemented a BrC module into the WRF-Chem model that considers source-dependent absorption and avoids uncertainties caused by assumptions about emission intensities. To our best knowledge, we made the first effort to consider BrC in a regional coupled model. We then applied the developed model to explore the impacts of BrC absorption on radiative forcing, regional climate, and air quality in East Asia. We found notable increases in aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) in areas with high OC concentrations. The most intense forcing of BrC absorption occurs in autumn over Southeast Asia, and values could reach around 4 W m–2. The intensified atmospheric absorption modified surface energy balance, resulting in subsequent declines in surface temperature, heat flux, boundary layer height, and turbulence exchanging rates. These changes in meteorological variables additionally modified near-surface dispersion and photochemical conditions, leading to changes of PM2.5 and O3 concentrations. These findings indicate that BrC could exert important influence in specific regions and time periods. A more in-depth understanding could be achieved later with the developed model.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Brown Carbon in East Asia: Seasonality, Sources, and Influences on Regional Climate and Air Quality
- Creators
- Fan Wang - Hong Kong Baptist UniversityZifeng Lu - Argonne National LaboratoryGuangxing Lin - Xiamen UniversityGregory R. Carmichael - University of IowaMeng Gao - Hong Kong Baptist University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- ACS Environmental Au, Vol.5(1), pp.128-137
- DOI
- 10.1021/acsenvironau.4c00080
- PMID
- 39830717
- PMCID
- PMC11741057
- NLM abbreviation
- ACS Environ Au
- ISSN
- 2694-2518
- eISSN
- 2694-2518
- Publisher
- AMER CHEMICAL SOC
- Grant note
- National Natural Science Foundation of China: 42322902 Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China: C2002-22Y, HKBU12201023, HKBU12202021 Laoshan LaboratoryHKUSTEnvironmental and Conservation Fund: 121/2022
This study was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 42322902), the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (project nos. C2002-22Y, HKBU12201023 and HKBU12202021), the Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau (CORE), a joint research center between the Laoshan Laboratory and HKUST, and the Environmental and Conservation Fund (121/2022).
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 11/13/2024
- Date published
- 01/15/2025
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Nursing; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984749759202771
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