PMEL

Atmospheric Chemistry

Climate

Air Quality

1.The Scientists

2.History

3.Highlights of results

4.Near future plans

NOAA PMELTim Bates, Scientist, UW affiliate faculty Trish Quinn, Scientist Jim Johnson, Scientist Derek Coffman, Research TechnicianKristin Schulz, Research TechnicianDrew Hamilton, Research Technician

University of WashingtonDavid Covert, Research FacultyTad Anderson, Research FacultySarah Doherty, Research Scientist, IGAC executive officerYonghua Wu, Research associate Berko Sierau, Research associate Rob Elleman, PhD candidateRobert Charlson, Professor

NOAA CMDL & Aeronomy, Boulder

In Cooperation with the IAMAS Commission on

Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (CACGP)

A Core Project of the International Geosphere-

Biosphere Programme (IGBP)

JISAO/PMEL hosts the IGAC International Project Office

Dr. Sarah Doherty,

JISAO Scientist,

IGAC Executive Officer

www.igac.noaa.gov

Aerosols, Climate, Air Quality

• Direct effect - scattering (absorbtion) of solar radiation with a net cooling effect on the Earth’s surface.

• Indirect effect – alter cloud reflectivity, lifetime, extent, precipitation.

• Transport and transformation of gas and condensed phase from sources to downwind regions.

History

Charlson,Lovelock,Andreae,Warren.1987

1987 – Charlson et al.

PMEL/JISAO Atmospheric Chemistry - Aerosol

Field Projects (1992-2004)

Atmospheric Aerosols Brighten CloudsDurkee et al., 2001

Ship tracks off the west coast of the US. Higher particle concentrations at a fixed liquid water content result in more reflective clouds.

Atmospheric Aerosols Brighten CloudsSchwartz et al., 2002

Sulfate particle number concentration

Blue-high

Red- medium

Green-Low

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Mas

s F

ract

ion

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Sub-10 micron

NH4 nssSO4 NO3 Seasalt POM EC nssK Dust H2O

Submicron

Supermicron

AC

E1

AC

E2

Co

nt

Aer

99 D

ust

Aer

99 B

B

IND

Ara

bia

IND

Ind

ia

AC

E A

sia

Po

ll

AC

E A

sia

Po

ll+D

ust

NE

AQ

S

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Sea salt dominates total and submicron aerosol mass in remote marine regions (ACE-1).

(Quinn and Bates, 2005)

Sea salt dominates total and submicron aerosol light extinction in remote marine regions (ACE-1).

0

20

40

60

80

100

Submicron

Co

ntr

ibu

tio

n t

o A

ero

sol E

xtin

ctio

n, %

Seasalt Sulfate POM EC Dust

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25

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100

Sub-10 micron

AC

E1

AE

R99

Du

st

AE

R99

BB

IND

Ara

bia

IND

Ind

ia

AA

Po

ll

AA

Po

ll+D

ust

NE

AQ

S C

on

t

0

25

50

75

100

Supermicron

(Quinn and Bates, 2005)

PMEL

Atmospheric Chemistry

Climate

Air Quality

1. The ocean is a minor source of CO, CH4, and OCS to the atmosphere.

2. The remote oceans are a small source of ammonia to the atmosphere. However, ammonia is still the dominant gas-phase basic species in the remote marine atmosphere.

3. The ocean is the major natural source of sulfur to the atmosphere. Air-sea exchange of DMS is only a minor sink in the seawater sulfur cycle.

4. There is no direct connection between DMS emissions and particle number concentration in the overlying atmosphere.

5. Sea salt dominates sub- and supermicron aerosol mass and light extinction in the remote marine atmosphere.

IPCC: In order to understand how the Earth’s climate is changing, it is critical to quantify each mechanism that changes the balance of radiation coming into and going out of the Earth-atmosphere system.

MISR measure of AOD

Aerosol chemical composition is needed to attribute aerosols to sources

NE United States (Pollution)

Asia (Dust)

India (Pollution)

Africa (Biomass burning)

Europe (Polluted)

Southern Ocean (Marine)

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

NH4 nssSO4 NO3 Seasalt POM EC nssK Dust H2O

Mass Fraction of Submicron Particles

Quinn & Bates, 2005

Air pollutants are transported intercontinentally affecting air quality and climate in regions far downwind

AC

E 1

AC

E 2

Mar

IND

OE

X M

ar

AC

E A

sia

Mar

AC

E 2

Co

nt

IND

OE

X A

rab

ia

IND

OE

X In

dia

AC

E A

sia

Po

llute

d

AC

E A

sia

Po

llute

d w

ith

Du

st

TA

RF

OX

NE

AQ

S C

on

t

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0Aerosol Optical Depth, 500 nm The aerosol

optical depth measured off the East Coast of the U.S. was comparable in magnitude to that measured off the coasts of Asia (ACE-Asia) and Indian (INDOEX).

Quinn & Bates, 2005

PMEL

Atmospheric Chemistry

Climate

Air Quality

6. A large fraction of the submicron aerosol mass over the oceans in not sulfate.

7. Absorbing aerosols have a complex impact on radiative forcing at the surface.

8. Asian dust is relatively non-absorbing.

9. The NE U.S. plume can be of comparable magnitude to the Indian and Asian plumes in terms of aerosol mass, surface extinction, and aerosol optical depth.

Future Direction….

• Mission Goal 2: Understand Climate Variability and Change to Enhance Society’s Ability to Plan and Respond– High-Level Outcome #2: Document and

understand changes in climate forcings and feedbacks, thereby reducing uncertainty in climate projections

• Mission Goal 3: Serve Society’s Needs for Weather and Water Information– High-Level Outcome #3: Establish National Air

Quality Forecast Capability

Research QuestionsHow do chemical transformation and physical transport processes affect the spatial distribution of aerosols in the marine boundary layer?

What are the chemical, physical, and optical properties of atmospheric aerosol particles and how do these properties affect regional haze and aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing of climate?

How will the aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing of climate change with changing regional air quality?

Improved chemical transport and radiative

transfer models NASA, NCAR, NOAA, ONR, DOE

Community Collaboration

SatelliteObservations

Anderson, Charlson, Wu

In-situMeasurements

PMEL and UW

Strategy

Obtaining a Global Aerosol DistributionGlobal satellite observations provide aerosol and geophysical data to refine and constrain chemical transport and radiative transfer models.

MISR on

Terra

CALIPSO

Aerosol Lidar in Space

2006Gulf Coast

2008Pacific

transport

RV over the years

PMELsampling inletdevelopment

PMEL, UW, JISAO

Atmospheric Chemistry

Climate

Air Quality

Single Scattering Albedo o = scat /ext = s /(s + a)

AC

E 1

AC

E 2

Mar

IND

OE

X M

ar

AC

E A

sia

Mar

AC

E 2

Co

nt

IND

OE

X A

rab

ia

IND

OE

X In

dia

AC

E A

sia

Po

llute

d

AC

E A

sia

Po

llute

d w

ith

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st

TA

RF

OX

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AQ

S C

on

t

0.80

0.85

0.90

0.95

1.00

1.05Single Scattering Albedo, 550 nm, Ambient RH

The highest mass fractions of EC and lowest SSA were observed off the Indian subcontinent.

Quinn and Bates, 2005

Single Scattering Albedo

AC

E 1

AC

E 2

Mar

IND

OE

X M

ar

AC

E A

sia

Mar

AC

E 2

Co

nt

IND

OE

X A

rab

ia

IND

OE

X In

dia

AC

E A

sia

Po

llute

d

AC

E A

sia

Po

llute

d w

ith

Du

st

TA

RF

OX

NE

AQ

S C

on

t

0.80

0.85

0.90

0.95

1.00

1.05Single Scattering Albedo, 550 nm, Ambient RH

Mean SSA observed during ACE Asia in air masses containing pollution and dust was 0.94 ± 0.03.

Quinn and Bates, 2005