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Malik A, Aggarwal SG, Kondo Y, Kumar B, Patel P, Sinha PR, Oshima N, Ohata S, Mori T, Koike M, Singh K, Soni D, Takami A. Source contribution of black carbon aerosol during 2020-2022 at an urban site in Indo-Gangetic Plain. Sci Total Environ 2024; 934:173039. [PMID: 38735325 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
The extensive emissions of black carbon (BC) from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region of India have been well recognized. Particularly, biomass emissions from month-specific crop-residue burning (April, May, October, November) and heating activities (December-February) are considered substantial contributors to BC emissions in the IGP. However, their precise contribution to ambient BC aerosol has not been quantified yet and remains an issue of debate. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by quantifying the contribution of these month-specific biomass emissions to ambient BC at an urban site in IGP. This study presents the analysis of BC mass concentrations (MBC) measured for 3 years (2020-2022) in Delhi using an optical photometer i.e., continuous soot monitoring system (COSMOS). A statistical analysis of monthly mean MBC and factors affecting the MBC (ventilation coefficients, air mass back trajectories, fire counts) is performed to derive month-wise contribution due to background concentration, conventional emission, regional transport, crop-residue burning, and heating activities. The yearly mean MBC (5.3 ± 4.7, 5.6 ± 5.0, and 5.3 ± 3.5 μg m-3 during 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively) remained relatively consistent with repetitive monthly patterns in each year. The peak concentrations were observed from November to January and low concentrations from June to September. Anthropogenic activities contributed significantly to MBC over Delhi with background concentration contributing only 30 % of observed MBC. The percentage contribution of emissions from crop-residue burning varied from 15 % (May) to 37 % (November), while the contribution from heating activities ranged from 25 % (December) to 39 % (January). This source quantification study highlights the significant impact of month-specific biomass emissions in the IGP and can play a vital role in better management and control of these emissions in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpit Malik
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Shankar G Aggarwal
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
| | - Yutaka Kondo
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Baban Kumar
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Prashant Patel
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Puna Ram Sinha
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 695547, India
| | - Naga Oshima
- Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency, 1-1 Nagamine, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0052, Japan
| | - Sho Ohata
- Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiro Mori
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Makoto Koike
- The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Khem Singh
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Daya Soni
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi 110012, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Akinori Takami
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
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Rautela KS, Singh S, Goyal MK. Characterizing the spatio-temporal distribution, detection, and prediction of aerosol atmospheric rivers on a global scale. J Environ Manage 2024; 351:119675. [PMID: 38048709 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Aerosol Atmospheric Rivers (AARs) are elongated and narrow regions that carry high concentrations of aerosols (tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere) across large distances, exerting effects on both air quality and human health (Chakraborty et al., 2021, 2022). Monitoring and modeling these aerosols present distinct challenges due to their dynamic nature and complex interactions within the atmosphere. In this context, the present study detects and predicts the AARs using MERRA-2 reanalysis datasets with their seasonal climatology of key aerosol species, including Black Carbon (BC), Dust (DU), Organic Carbon (OC), Sea Salt (SS), and Sulphates (SU). The study employs an innovative Integrated Aerosol Transport (IAT) based AAR algorithm from 2015 to 2022. A total count of 44,020 BC AARs, 13,280 DU AARs, 21,599 OC AARs, 17,925 SS AARs, and 31,437 SU AARs were detected globally. The seasonal climatology of BC and OC AARs intensifies in areas such as the Amazon rainforest and Congo during AMJJAS (April-September) due to forest fires. Similarly, DU AARs are more frequent in regions near the Saharan desert, primarily around the equator during AMJJAS. SS AARs tend to predominate over the oceans, while SU AARs are predominantly found in the northern hemisphere, primarily due to higher anthropogenic emissions. Furthermore, convolutional autoencoder-based models were developed for key aerosol species, strengthening predictive accuracy by effectively capturing complex data relationships and delivering precise predictions for the last 5-time frames. During validation, the model evaluation parameters for image prediction such as the Structural Similarity Index ranged from 0.86 to 0.94, Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio fluctuated between 1.14 and 42.25 dB, Root Mean Square Error varied from 2.39 to 296.4 mg/(m-sec), and Mean Square Error fell within the range of 1.55-17.22 mg/(m-sec). These collectively reflect image closeness, quality, dissimilarity, and accuracy in AAR prediction. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of advanced machine and deep learning models in predicting AARs, offering the potential for advanced forecasting and enhancing resilience in high-aerosol concentration regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuldeep Singh Rautela
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Indore, 453552, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Shivam Singh
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Indore, 453552, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Manish Kumar Goyal
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Indore, 453552, Madhya Pradesh, India.
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Ramachandran S, Rupakheti M, Cherian R, Lawrence MG. Aerosols heat up the Himalayan climate. Sci Total Environ 2023; 894:164733. [PMID: 37327904 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The impact of aerosols, especially the absorbing aerosols, in the Himalayan region is important for climate. We closely examine ground-based high-quality observations of aerosol characteristics including radiative forcing from several locations in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), the Himalayan foothills and the Tibetan Plateau, relatively poorly studied regions with several sensitive ecosystems of global importance, as well as highly vulnerable large populations. This paper presents a state-of-the-art treatment of the warming that arises from these particles, using a combination of new measurements and modeling techniques. This is a first-time analysis of its kind, including ground-based observations, satellite data, and model simulations, which reveals that the aerosol radiative forcing efficiency (ARFE) in the atmosphere is clearly high over the IGP and the Himalayan foothills (80-135 Wm-2 per unit aerosol optical depth (AOD)), with values being greater at higher elevations. AOD is >0.30 and single scattering albedo (SSA) is ∼0.90 throughout the year over this region. The mean ARFE is 2-4 times higher here than over other polluted sites in South and East Asia, owing to higher AOD and aerosol absorption (i.e., lower SSA). Further, the observed annual mean aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rates (0.5-0.8 Kelvin/day), which are significantly higher than previously reported values for the region, imply that the aerosols alone could account for >50 % of the total warming (aerosols + greenhouse gases) of the lower atmosphere and surface over this region. We demonstrate that the current state-of-the-art models used in climate assessments significantly underestimate aerosol-induced heating, efficiency and warming over the Hindu Kush - Himalaya - Tibetan Plateau (HKHTP) region, indicating a need for a more realistic representation of aerosol properties, especially of black carbon and other aerosols. The significant, regionally coherent aerosol-induced warming that we observe in the high altitudes of the region, is a significant factor contributing to increasing air temperature, observed accelerated retreat of the glaciers, and changes in the hydrological cycle and precipitation patterns over this region. Thus, aerosols are heating up the Himalayan climate, and will remain a key factor driving climate change over the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ramachandran
- Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India; Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Maheswar Rupakheti
- Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ribu Cherian
- Leipzig Institute for Meteorology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mark G Lawrence
- Research Institute for Sustainability - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany; Institute for Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Kaur P, Dhar P, Bansal O, Singh D, Guha A. Temporal variability, meteorological influences, and long-range transport of atmospheric aerosols over two contrasting environments Agartala and Patiala in India. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:102687-102707. [PMID: 37668783 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29580-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The present study focused on the temporal variability, meteorological influences, potential sources, and long-range transport of atmospheric aerosols over two contrasting environments during 2011-2013. We have chosen Agartala (AGR) city in Northeast India as one of our sites representing the rural-continental environment and Patiala (PTA) as an urban site in Northwest India. The seasonal averaged equivalent black carbon (eBC) concentration in AGR ranges from 1.55 to 38.11 µg/m3 with an average value of 9.87 ± 8.17 µg/m3, whereas, at an urban location, PTA value ranges from 1.30 to 15.57 µg/m3 with an average value of 7.83 ± 3.51 µg/m3. The annual average eBC concentration over AGR was observed to be ~ 3 times higher than PTA. Two diurnal peaks (morning and evening) in eBC have been observed at both sites but were observed to be more prominent at AGR than at PTA. Spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been observed to be in the range from 0.33 ± 0.09 (post-monsoon) to 0.85 ± 0.22 (winter) at AGR and 0.47 ± 0.04 (pre-monsoon) to 0.74 ± 0.09 (post-monsoon) at PTA. The concentration of eBC and its diurnal and seasonal variation indicates the primary sources of eBC as local sources, synoptic meteorology, planetary boundary layer (PBL) dynamics, and distant transportation of aerosols. The wintertime higher values of eBC at AGR than at PTA are linked with the transportation of eBC from the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Furthermore, it is evident that eBC aerosols are transported from local and regional sources, which is supported by concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parminder Kaur
- Department of Physics, Tripura University, West Tripura, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India
| | - Pranab Dhar
- Department of Physics, Tripura University, West Tripura, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India
| | - Onam Bansal
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Darshan Singh
- Department of Physics, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India
| | - Anirban Guha
- Department of Physics, Tripura University, West Tripura, Agartala, 799022, Tripura, India.
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Ansari K, Ramachandran S. Radiative effects of absorbing aerosol types over South Asia. Sci Total Environ 2023; 858:159969. [PMID: 36347289 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive study on classifying the aerosol types and absorbing aerosol types, and quantifying the effect of absorbing aerosols on aerosol optical and radiative properties using four years (2015-2016, 2018-2019) of high-quality Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) datasets over Kanpur (urban) and Gandhi College (rural) in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) region is conducted on a seasonal scale, for the first time. Biomass burning (BB), urban-industrial, and mixed aerosol types are always present, whereas dust aerosol and mostly dust absorbing aerosol types are only present in pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. During winter and post-monsoon seasons, BB aerosols and mostly black carbon (MBC) absorbing aerosols dominate, and the contribution of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA) corresponding to MBC to total AOD and SSA are higher. SSA for MBC varies over a broader range due to mixing of BC with water-soluble aerosols. During pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, mixing of dust with anthropogenic aerosols increases the amount of mixed aerosol type. Surface cooling and atmospheric heating efficiency for mixed aerosols are higher than MBC and dust aerosols due to enhancement in aerosol absorption over both locations. Seasonal analysis of aerosol radiative properties showed that during winter and post-monsoon, MBC absorbing aerosols are the major contributor in controlling/influencing the total aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and heating rate (HR). During the other seasons, each absorbing aerosol type significantly influences ARF depending on their AOD and SSA values. In addition to Kanpur and Gandhi College, data from seven other AERONET sites located at Karachi, Lahore, Jaipur, Lumbini, Pokhara, Bhola, and Dhaka in South Asia are analysed to conduct a regional-scale examination of aerosol optical parameters and radiative effects due to different absorbing aerosol types. As the aerosol characteristics and trends are similar over these sites, the findings from such a regional-scale analysis can be an appropriate representative for the South Asian region. The regional analysis revealed that the annual mean atmospheric ARF (ARFATM) and ARF efficiency (ARFEATM), and HR are higher for MBC, followed by mixed and MD aerosols over South Asia due to higher AOD, and higher absorbing efficiency of MBC aerosols. In comparison, mixed aerosols exhibit higher ARFATM over East Asia. This quantification of absorbing aerosol types over a global aerosol hotspot will be useful for an accurate quantification of climate impacts of aerosols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran Ansari
- Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, 380009, India; Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar, 382055, India.
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6
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Xiong R, Li J, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Jiang K, Zheng H, Kong S, Shen H, Cheng H, Shen G, Tao S. Global brown carbon emissions from combustion sources. Environ Sci Ecotechnol 2022; 12:100201. [PMID: 36157345 PMCID: PMC9500369 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2022.100201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Light-absorbing organic carbon (OC), sometimes known as Brown Carbon (BrC), has been recognized as an important fraction of carbonaceous aerosols substantially affecting radiative forcing. This study firstly developed a bottom-up estimate of global primary BrC, and discussed its spatiotemporal distribution and source contributions from 1960 to 2010. The global total primary BrC emission from both natural and anthropogenic sources in 2010 was 7.26 (5.98-8.93 as an interquartile range) Tg, with 43.5% from anthropogenic sources. High primary BrC emissions were in regions such as Africa, South America, South and East Asia with natural sources (wild fires and deforestation) contributing over 70% in the former two regions, while in East Asia, anthropogenic sources, especially residential solid fuel combustion, accounted for over 80% of the regional total BrC emissions. Globally, the historical trend was mainly driven by anthropogenic sources, which increased from 1960 to 1990 and then started to decline. Residential emissions significantly impacted on emissions and temporal trends that varied by region. In South and Southeast Asia, the emissions increased obviously due to population growth and a slow transition from solid fuels to clean modern energies in the residential sector. It is estimated that in primary OC, the global average was about 20% BrC, but this ratio varied from 13% to 47%, depending on sector and region. In areas with high residential solid fuel combustion emissions, the ratio was generally twice the value in other areas. Uncertainties in the work are associated with the concept of BrC and measurement technologies, pointing to the need for more studies on BrC analysis and quantification in both emissions and the air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xiong
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jin Li
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yuanzheng Zhang
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Ke Jiang
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Huang Zheng
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Shaofei Kong
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Huizhong Shen
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hefa Cheng
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Guofeng Shen
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Corresponding author. Peking University, China.
| | - Shu Tao
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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7
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Ramachandran S, Rupakheti M. Trends in the types and absorption characteristics of ambient aerosols over the Indo-Gangetic Plain and North China Plain in last two decades. Sci Total Environ 2022; 831:154867. [PMID: 35353982 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The sixth assessment report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2021 states that our inadequate understanding of magnitudes and trends of atmospheric aerosols, particularly over Asia, is a major source of uncertainty in climate change. In this study, the climatology and trends in different types of aerosols with focus on absorbing aerosols over Kanpur located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) in South Asia and Beijing in the North China Plain (NCP) in East Asia are derived for the first time. We perform a first analysis of high-quality time series of columnar aerosols observations over a period of nearly two-decades, along with satellite observations to provide a broader regional perspective. The satellite retrieved aerosol Ångström exponent (AE) values have increased (10-20%) suggesting an increasing contribution of fine aerosols to aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Asia in last 2-decades. Among the three aerosol types [urban-industrial (UI), biomass burning (BB), and dust (DU)], only UI and BB aerosols are present over Kanpur throughout the year, while DU is present along with UI and BB aerosols only during pre-monsoon and monsoon. Overall, there is a positive trend in BB aerosols over both Kanpur and Beijing, a positive (negative) trend in UI aerosols over Kanpur (Beijing), and positive (negative) trend in dust over Beijing (Kanpur). However, only the positive trend in BB aerosol type over Kanpur is statistically significant. Further, among the three absorbing aerosol types [mostly black carbon (MBC), mostly dust (MDU), and mixed (MIX) containing BC and dust], only MBC and MIX are present in post-monsoon and winter over IGP, and MDU is present along with MBC and MIX only during pre-monsoon and monsoon, which is in agreement with aerosol types found. Trends in MBC, MIX and MDU over Kanpur in IGP and in MIX over Beijing are statistically significant. These trends are attributed mainly to the changes in anthropogenic aerosol emissions, and not to natural and climatic factors as their changes are relatively small. These findings on hitherto unavailable climatology and trends in aerosols and absorbing aerosols over two global aerosol hotspots and identified contrasts will be crucial in model simulations to better decipher the aerosol-climate interactions over Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ramachandran
- Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India; Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany.
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8
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Crispo M, Dobson MC, Blevins RS, Meredith W, Lake JA, Edmondson JL. Heavy metals and metalloids concentrations across UK urban horticultural soils and the factors influencing their bioavailability to food crops. Environ Pollut 2021; 288:117960. [PMID: 34426231 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Urban horticulture (UH) has been proposed as a solution to increase urban sustainability, but the potential risks to human health due to potentially elevated soil heavy metals and metalloids (HM) concentrations represent a major constraint for UH expansion. Here we provide the first UK-wide assessment of soil HM concentrations (total and bioavailable) in UH soils and the factors influencing their bioavailability to crops. Soils from 200 allotments across ten cities in the UK were collected and analysed for HM concentrations, black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC) concentrations, pH and texture. We found that although HM are widespread across UK UH soils, most concentrations fell below the respective UK soil screening values (C4SLs): 99 % Cr; 98 % As, Cd, Ni; 95 % Cu; 52 % Zn. However, 83 % of Pb concentrations exceeded C4SL, but only 3.5 % were above Pb national background concentration of 820 mg kg-1. The bioavailable HM concentrations represent a small fraction (0.01-1.8 %) of the total concentrations even for those soils that exceeded C4SLs. There was a significant positive relationship between both total and bioavailable HM and soil BC and OC concentrations. This suggest that while contributing to the accumulation of HM concentrations in UH soils, BC and OC may also provide a biding surface for the bioavailable HM concentrations contributing to their immobilisation. These findings have implications for both management of the risk to human health associated with UH growing in urban soils and with management of UH soil. There is a clear need to understand the mechanisms driving soil-to-crop HM transfer in UH to improve potentially restrictive C4SL (e.g. Pb) especially as public demand for UH land is growing. In addition, the UH community would benefit from education programs promoting soil management practices that reduce the risk of HM exposure - particularly in those plots where C4SLs were exceeded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Crispo
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Miriam C Dobson
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Roscoe S Blevins
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Will Meredith
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Janice A Lake
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jill L Edmondson
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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9
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Xiang Y, Zhang T, Liu J, Wan X, Loewen M, Chen X, Kang S, Fu Y, Lv L, Liu W, Cong Z. Vertical profile of aerosols in the Himalayas revealed by lidar: New insights into their seasonal/diurnal patterns, sources, and transport. Environ Pollut 2021; 285:117686. [PMID: 34380235 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric aerosols play a crucial role in climate change, especially in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. Here, we present the seasonal and diurnal characteristics of aerosol vertical profiles measured using a Mie lidar, along with surface black carbon (BC) measurements, at Mt. Qomolangma (QOMS), in the central Himalayas, in 2018-2019. Lidar-retrieved profiles of aerosols showed a distinct seasonal pattern of aerosol loading (aerosol extinction coefficient, AEC), with a maximum in the pre-monsoon (19.8 ± 22.7 Mm-1 of AEC) and minimum in the summer monsoon (7.0 ± 11.2 Mm-1 of AEC) seasons. The diurnal variation characteristics of AEC and BC were quite different in the non-monsoon seasons with enriched aerosols being maintained from 00:00 to 10:00 in the pre-monsoon season. The major aerosol types at QOMS were identified as background, pollution, and dust aerosols, especially during the pre-monsoon season. The occurrence of pollution events influenced the vertical distribution, seasonal/diurnal patterns, and types of aerosols. Source contribution of BC based on the weather research and forecasting chemical model showed that approximately 64.2% ± 17.0% of BC at the QOMS originated from India and Nepal in South Asia during the non-monsoon seasons, whereas approximately 47.7% was from local emission sources in monsoon season. In particular, the high abundance of BC at the QOMS in the pre-monsoon season was attributed to biomass burning, whereas anthropogenic emissions were the likely sources during the other seasons. The maximum aerosol concentration appeared in the near-surface layer (approximately 4.3 km ASL), and high concentrations of transported aerosols were mainly found at 4.98, 4.58, 4.74, and 4.88 km ASL in the pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter seasons, respectively. The investigation of the vertical profiles of aerosols at the QOMS can help verify the representation of aerosols in the air quality model and satellite products and regulate the anthropogenic disturbance over the Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Xiang
- Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Tianshu Zhang
- Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Xin Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | | | - Xintong Chen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yibin Fu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Lihui Lv
- Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China
| | - Wenqing Liu
- Institutes of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, China; Key Laboratory of Environment Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China
| | - Zhiyuan Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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10
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Li Y, Fu C, Zeng L, Zhou Q, Zhang H, Tu C, Li L, Luo Y. Black Carbon Contributes Substantially to Allochthonous Carbon Storage in Deltaic Vegetated Coastal Habitats. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:6495-6504. [PMID: 33886286 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Vegetated coastal habitats (VCHs) rank among the most intense carbon sinks in natural ecosystems, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle. A significant part of the organic carbon (OC) they store may be allochthonous OC that has been sequestered elsewhere. Yet, the compositions of allochthonous OC are largely unknown. Here, we present concentrations and carbon isotopic (13C and 14C) compositions and accumulation rates of carbon in the VCHs from major temperate-subtropical deltas of China: Yellow, Yangtze, and Pearl river deltas. We find that black carbon (BC) amounts to 9-25% of OC across sites. Temperate VCHs exhibit lower BC contents but higher BC contributions than subtropical VCHs. This seemingly counterintuitive result can be explained by increased accumulation of long-term, stable, allochthonous OC in temperate VCHs. BC in temperate VCHs contains 1.5-2 times more fossil BC than that in subtropical VCHs in the 1 m depth soil, which is likely influenced by atmospheric input and the aging effect. We estimate an accumulation rate of BC in China's VCHs of 33.1 ± 14.5 g m-2 year-1, acting as a hotspot for BC burial. These results point to a substantial and hitherto unquantified contribution of BC components to blue carbon storage, as well as the VCHs to global BC storage. Preservation of this old-aged, stable OC implies an important ecosystem service of the VCHs for climate change mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, China
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Chuancheng Fu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Lin Zeng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai 264025, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, School of Environmental & Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Chen Tu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, China
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Lianzhen Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, China
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yongming Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai 264003, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Nanjing 210008, China
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
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11
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Dumka UC, Kaskaoutis DG, Mihalopoulos N, Sheoran R. Identification of key aerosol types and mixing states in the central Indian Himalayas during the GVAX campaign: the role of particle size in aerosol classification. Sci Total Environ 2021; 761:143188. [PMID: 33143923 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Studies in aerosol properties, types and sources in the Himalayas are important for atmospheric and climatic issues due to high aerosol loading in the neighboring plains. This study uses in situ measurements of aerosol optical and microphysical properties obtained during the Ganges Valley Aerosol eXperiment (GVAX) at Nainital, India over the period June 2011-March 2012, aiming to identify key aerosol types and mixing states for two particle sizes (PM1 and PM10). Using a classification matrix based on SAE vs. AAE thresholds (scattering vs. absorption Ångström exponents, respectively), seven aerosol types are identified, which are highly dependent on particle size. An aerosol type named "large/BC mix" dominates in both PM1 (45.4%) and PM10 (46.9%) mass, characterized by aged BC mixed with other aerosols, indicating a wide range of particle sizes and mixing states. Small particles with low spectral dependence of the absorption (AAE < 1) account for 31.6% and BC-dominated aerosols for 14.8% in PM1, while in PM10, a large fraction (39%) corresponds to "large/low-absorbing" aerosols and only 3.9% is characterized as "BC-dominated". The remaining types consist of mixtures of dust and local emissions from biofuel burning and display very small fractions. The main optical properties e.g. spectral scattering, absorption, single scattering albedo, activation ratio, as well as seasonality and dependence on wind speed and direction of identified types are examined, revealing a large influence of air masses originating from the Indo-Gangetic Plains. This indicates that aerosols over the central Himalayas are mostly composed by mixtures of processed and transported polluted plumes from the plains. This is the first study that identifies key aerosol populations in the central Indian Himalayas based on in situ measurements and the results are highly important for aerosol-type inventories, chemical transport models and reducing the uncertainty in aerosol radiative forcing over the third pole.
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Affiliation(s)
- U C Dumka
- Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital 263 001, India.
| | - D G Kaskaoutis
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Palaia Penteli, 15236 Athens, Greece; Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, 71003 Crete, Greece.
| | - N Mihalopoulos
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Palaia Penteli, 15236 Athens, Greece; Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, 71003 Crete, Greece
| | - Rahul Sheoran
- Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital 263 001, India
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12
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She L, Zhang HK, Li Z, de Leeuw G, Huang B. Himawari-8 Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) Retrieval Using a Deep Neural Network Trained Using AERONET Observations. Remote Sensing 2020; 12:4125. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12244125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) estimation from satellite-measured top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectances is challenging because of the complicated TOA-AOD relationship and a nexus of land surface and atmospheric state variations. This task is usually undertaken using a physical model to provide a first estimate of the TOA reflectances which are then optimized by comparison with the satellite data. Recently developed deep neural network (DNN) models provide a powerful tool to represent the complicated relationship statistically. This study presents a methodology based on DNN to estimate AOD using Himawari-8 Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) TOA observations. A year (2017) of AHI TOA observations over the Himawari-8 full disk collocated in space and time with Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD data were used to derive a total of 14,154 training and validation samples. The TOA reflectance in all six AHI solar bands, three TOA reflectance ratios derived based on the dark-target assumptions, sun-sensor geometry, and auxiliary data are used as predictors to estimate AOD at 500 nm. The DNN AOD is validated by separating training and validation samples using random k-fold cross-validation and using AERONET site-specific leave-one-station-out validation, and is compared with a random forest regression estimator and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) AOD. The DNN AOD shows high accuracy: (1) RMSE = 0.094, R2 = 0.915 for k-fold cross-validation, and (2) RMSE = 0.172, R2 = 0.730 for leave-one-station-out validation. The k-fold cross-validation overestimates the DNN accuracy as the training and validation samples may come from the same AHI pixel location. The leave-one-station-out validation reflects the accuracy for large-area applications where there are no training samples for the pixel location to be estimated. The DNN AOD has better accuracy than the random forest AOD and JMA AOD. In addition, the contribution of the dark-target derived TOA ratio predictors is examined and confirmed, and the sensitivity to the DNN structure is discussed.
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Ramachandran S, Rupakheti M, Lawrence MG. Aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rate decreases over South and East Asia as a result of changing content and composition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20091. [PMID: 33208825 PMCID: PMC7676243 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76936-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aerosol emissions from human activities are extensive and changing rapidly over Asia. Model simulations and satellite observations indicate a dipole pattern in aerosol emissions and loading between South Asia and East Asia, two of the most heavily polluted regions of the world. We examine the previously unexplored diverging trends in the existing dipole pattern of aerosols between East and South Asia using the high quality, two-decade long ground-based time series of observations of aerosol properties from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), from satellites (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)), and from model simulations (Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2). The data cover the period since 2001 for Kanpur (South Asia) and Beijing (East Asia), two locations taken as being broadly representative of the respective regions. Since 2010 a dipole in aerosol optical depth (AOD) is maintained, but the trend is reversed—the decrease in AOD over Beijing (East Asia) is rapid since 2010, being 17% less in current decade compared to first decade of twenty-first century, while the AOD over South Asia increased by 12% during the same period. Furthermore, we find that the aerosol composition is also changing over time. The single scattering albedo (SSA), a measure of aerosol’s absorption capacity and related to aerosol composition, is slightly higher over Beijing than Kanpur, and has increased from 0.91 in 2002 to 0.93 in 2017 over Beijing and from 0.89 to 0.92 during the same period over Kanpur, confirming that aerosols in this region have on an average become more scattering in nature. These changes have led to a notable decrease in aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rate (HR) over both regions between the two decades, decreasing considerably more over East Asia (− 31%) than over South Asia (− 9%). The annual mean HR is lower now, it is still large (≥ 0.6 K per day), which has significant climate implications. The seasonal trends in AOD, SSA and HR are more pronounced than their respective annual trends over both regions. The seasonal trends are caused mainly by the increase/decrease in anthropogenic aerosol emissions (sulfate, black carbon and organic carbon) while the natural aerosols (dust and sea salt) did not change significantly over South and East Asia during the last two decades. The MERRA-2 model is able to simulate the observed trends in AODs well but not the magnitude, while it also did not simulate the SSA values or trends well. These robust findings based on observations of key aerosol parameters and previously unrecognized diverging trends over South and East Asia need to be accounted for in current state-of-the-art climate models to ensure accurate quantification of the complex and evolving impact of aerosols on the regional climate over Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ramachandran
- Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India. .,Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany.
| | | | - Mark G Lawrence
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute for Environmental Sciences and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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14
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Ramachandran S, Rupakheti M. Inter-annual and seasonal variations in columnar aerosol characteristics and radiative effects over the Pokhara Valley in the Himalayan foothills - Composition, radiative forcing, and atmospheric heating. Environ Pollut 2020; 264:114799. [PMID: 32559877 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This study reports comprehensive analysis of seasonal and inter-annual variations of aerosol properties (optical, physical and chemical) and radiative effects over Pokhara Valley in the foothills of central Himalayas in Nepal utilizing the high-quality multi-year columnar aerosol data observed recently from January 2010 to December 2017. This paper focusses on the seasonal and inter-annual variations of chemical (composition), and absorption properties of aerosols and their radiative effects. The single scattering albedo (SSA) either decreases as a function of wavelength or remains independent of wavelength. The seasonal mean aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) exhibits a behavior opposite to that of SSA. Carbonaceous aerosols (CA) dominate (≥60%) aerosol absorption during the whole year. Black carbon (BC) alone contributes >60% to AAODCA while brown carbon (BrC) shares the rest. The absorbing aerosol types are determined to be BC, and mixed (BC and dust) only. Dust as absorbing aerosol type is absent over the Himalayan foothills. The ARFSFC is ≥ -50 Wm-2 except in monsoon almost every year. The ARFATM is ≥ 50 Wm-2 during winter and pre-monsoon in all the years. ARFESFC, ARFETOA and ARFEATM follow a similar pattern as that of ARF. High values of ARFE at SFC, TOA and ATM (except during monsoon when values are slightly lower) suggest that aerosols are efficient in significantly modulating the incoming solar flux throughout the year. The annual average aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rate (HR) over Pokhara is nearly 1 K day-1 every year during 8-year observation, and is highest in 2015 (∼2.5 K day-1). The HR is about 1 K day-1 or more over all the locations in IGP during the year. These quantitative results can be used as inputs in global/regional climate models to assess the climate impact of aerosols, including on regional temperature, hydrological cycle and melting of glaciers and snowfields in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ramachandran
- Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India; Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - M Rupakheti
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany.
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