Aerosol radiative forcing due to enhanced black carbon at an urban site in India

Babu, Suresh S and Satheesh, SK and Moorthy, Krishna K (2002) Aerosol radiative forcing due to enhanced black carbon at an urban site in India. In: Geophysical Research Letters, 29 (18). p. 1880.

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Abstract

[1] During a comprehensive aerosol field campaign, simultaneous measurements were made of aerosol spectral optical depths, black carbon mass concentration (M-b), total (M-t) and size segregated aerosol mass concentrations over an urban continental location, Bangalore (13 degreesN, 77 degreesE, 960 m msl), in India. Large amounts of BC were observed; both in absolute terms and fraction of total mass (similar to11%) and submicron mass (similar to23%) implying a significantly low single scatter albedo. The aerosol visible optical depth (tau(p)) was in the range 0.24 to 0.45. Estimated surface forcing is as high as -23 W m(-2) and top of the atmosphere (TOA) forcing is +5 Wm(-2) during relatively cleaner periods (tau(p) similar to 0.24). The net atmospheric absorption translates to an atmospheric heating of similar to0.8 K day(-1) for cleaner periods and similar to1.5 K day(-1) for less cleaner periods (tau(p) similar to 0.45). Our observations raise several issues, which may have impacts to regional climate and monsoon.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher:	American Geophysical Union
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to American Geophysical Union.
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Centre for Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
Date Deposited:	04 Aug 2011 06:10
Last Modified:	04 Aug 2011 06:10
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/38936

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