Publication Abstracts

Hansen et al. 2004

Hansen, J., T. Bond, B. Cairns, H. Gaeggler, B. Liepert, T. Novakov, and B. Schichtel, 2004: Carbonaceous aerosols in the industrial era. Eos Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, 85, no. 25, 241, 245.

Carbonaceous aerosols are increasingly recognized as an important atmospheric constituent. These small atmospheric particles are predominately soot produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and outdoor biomass that generally form through condensation of vaporized organic matter. However, biogenic emissions from trees, other vegetation, and animals are also sources of carbonaceous aerosols. Elemental carbon, in the form of graphite, is the main cause of the blackness of soot; it absorbs sunlight strongly and almost uniformly across the solar spectrum. However, the graphite seldom is pure carbon, instead involving varying proportions of other atoms. Furthermore, the carbonaceous aerosols include an enormous variety of organic compounds of carbon.

The history of atmospheric carbonaceous aerosols is needed to investigate their possible role in past climate change. Quantitative knowledge of the contributions of fossil fuels, biofuels, and outdoor biomass to carbonaceous aerosols would be needed for any strategies to mitigate aerosol effects, including aerosol effects on human health, agricultural productivity, and atmospheric visibility, as well as on climate.

Carbonaceous aerosol history is difficult to estimate because soot emissions depend sensitively on combustion technology, unlike, for example, CO2. Because aerosol lifetimes are typically only several days, their global distribution is inhomogeneous; thus, data are required from many locations. The aerosol size and vertical distributions are needed because they influence the aerosol climate effects.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{ha05010p,
  author={Hansen, J. and Bond, T. and Cairns, B. and Gaeggler, H. and Liepert, B. and Novakov, T. and Schichtel, B.},
  title={Carbonaceous aerosols in the industrial era},
  year={2004},
  journal={Eos Transactions of the American Geophysical Union},
  volume={85},
  number={25},
  pages={241, 245},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ha05010p
AU  - Hansen, J.
AU  - Bond, T.
AU  - Cairns, B.
AU  - Gaeggler, H.
AU  - Liepert, B.
AU  - Novakov, T.
AU  - Schichtel, B.
PY  - 2004
TI  - Carbonaceous aerosols in the industrial era
JA  - Eos Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union
JO  - Eos Transactions of the American Geophysical Union
VL  - 85
IS  - 25
SP  - 241, 245
ER  -

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