BLACK CARBON
RESEARCH INITIATIVE
NATIONAL CARBONACEOUS AEROSOLS PROGRAM
(NCAP)
J.Srinivasan
Divecha Centre for Climate Change
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Particles of solid or liquid phase suspended in the atmosphere is
called aerosols( too small to be seen by the eye)
• Sea-salt : Scattering
• Sulphate : Scattering
• Soil Dust : Partly absorbing
• Organics : Partly absorbing
• Black carbon : Absorbing
INDOEX
Sources of Black Carbon
Biofuel or Fossil Fuel?
Novakov et al., 2000Fossil Fuel dominant
Ramanthan & Carmichael2008Biofuel dominant
Policy Implications
Prof. V.Ramanathan: Testimony in U.S.Senate 16th March 2010
The magnitude of current warming effect by BC is subject to a large uncertainty, ranging from about 20 per cent to as much as 60 per cent of the warming effect of CO2. BC generated by diesel combustion has greater warming potential than bio-fuel cooking or biomass burning..
Reducing Black Carbon May Be the FastestStrategy for Slowing Climate Change
IGSD/INECE Climate Briefing Note June 2009
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A drastic reduction of black-carbon emissions could provide near-immediate relief
Grieshop et al., Nature Geoscience, August 2009
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Climate trade-off between black carbon and carbon dioxide emissions by Boucher & Reddy, Energy Policy, 36. 2008
Spatio-temporal variations of BC in India from observations in ISRO network
Courtesy:Dr. K. Krishnamoorthy
Space Physics LaboratoryTrivandrum
ARFINET – Aerosol observatories
under ARFI • >33 stations
• AOD,
• BC,
• Size distributions,
Scattering & absorption
coefficients (spectral)
• Single Scat Albedo
• Radiation (up and
down welling),
• albedo,
• Extinction profiles,
• Abundance …
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Trivan
drum
Ban
galore
Pun
e H
yder
abad
Kan
pur
Del
hi
Nai
nita
l
Min
icoy
Bla
ck
Ca
rbo
n (
µµ µµg
m-3
)
Source: Babu et al., 2002; Satheesh et al., 2010; Safai et al., 2007; Singh et al., 2010; Badrinath
and Latha, 2006; Dey et al., 2008, Dumka et al., 2010.
Black Carbon Mass Concentration
TRIVANDURAM
Aerosol Mass Concentration during LC-I, 2004
Elevated aerosol layers
Over Central
India > 70% of
aerosols reside
above the clouds
during pre-
monsoon
Black Carbon and temperature variation
Babu et al., Geophysical Research Letters 2011
PROPOSED PLAN
Network of Surface Observatories:
ISRO Geosphere Biosphere Program36 sites
Proposed Instruments
Aethalometer Single particle
Soot PhotometerPhoto-Acoustic
Soot Spectrometer
Hi-Volume
SamplerNephelometer
Multi-Wavelength
RadiometerMicro-Pulse Lidar
• Vertical distribution of aerosols
• Interaction of BC with clouds
• BC/OC ratio
• Mixing State
• Contribution from Urban/ Rural
Bond et al., 2007
• Development of a national carbonaceous aerosols emission inventory
• Evaluation of the impact of sectors and sources on the magnitude of carbonaceous aerosol emissions.
• Future emission projections in an integrated economic-energy-environment framework
• Understanding sources influencing carbonaceous aerosols through inverse modelling approaches
MODELLING
(IITB, IITD, IITMP, IISc)
Black Carbon in Hanle, Ladakh
• Collection of atmospheric aerosol samples near glaciated valleys and also around seasonal snow fields
• Estimation of effect of black carbon and mineral dust on snow and ice albedo using field and laboratory observations.
• Development of algorithm to monitor snow and glacier albedo using satellite data.
• Validation of snow/glacier algorithm and monitoring albedo using satellite and aircraft data.
• Understanding effect of change in albedodue to black carbon on seasonal snow and glacier melt.
• Modelling effect of enhanced melting on glacier mass balance and retreat. .
GLACIERS
Prof. Pierrehumbert, University of Chicago
• In reality, aerosol-forming emissions and CO2 emissions are separate dials, controlling very different aspects of the Earth’s climate future.
• CO2 emissions play a distinguished role, because they ratchet up the Earth’s thermostat. It’s a dial you can turn up, but you can’t turn it back down. CO2 is a genie you can’t put back in the bottle
Black Carbon Emission per Capita ( kg/capita)Ref: Ramanathan and Feng, 2008; Data source: Bond et al 2004
0
0.5
1
1.5
USA EU
OECD
EU
EAST
ASIA
SOUT H
ASIA
EAST
NATURAL VS ANTHROPOGENICAEROSOLS
Air Pollution and Climate Changeissues are linked through Aerosols