Changing optical properties of Black Carbon and Brown Carbon aerosols during long-range transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the equatorial Indian Ocean

• Atmospheric aerosols strongly influence the global climate by their light absorption (e.g., black carbon, BC, brown carbon, BrC) and scattering (e.g., sulfate) properties. This study presents simultaneous measurements of ambient aerosol light absorption properties and chemical composition from three large-footprint South Asian receptor sites during the South Asian Pollution Experiment (SAPOEX) in December 2017 - March 2018. The BC mass absorption cross-section (BC-MAC678) values increased from 3.5 ± 1.3 at the Bhola Climate Observatory-Bangladesh (i.e., located at exit outflow of Indo-Gangetic Plain) to 6.4 ± 1.3 at the two regional receptor observatories at Maldives Climate Observatory-Hanimaadhoo (MCOH) and Maldives Climate Observatory-Gan (MCOG), an increase of 80%. This likely reflects a scavenging fractionation resulting in a population of finer BC with higher MAC678 having higher longevity. At the same time, the BrC-MAC365 decreased by a factor of three from the IGP exit to the equatorial Indian Ocean, likely due to photochemical bleaching of organic chromophores. The high chlorine-to-sodium ratio at the near-source-region BCOB suggests a significant contribution of chlorine from anthropogenic activities. This particulate Cl- has the potential to convert into Cl-radicals that can affect the oxidation capacity of the polluted air. Moreover, Cl- is shown to be near-fully consumed during the long-range transport. The results of this synoptic study over the large South Asian scale contribute rare observational constraints on optical properties of ambient BC (and BrC) aerosols over regional scales away from emission sources. It also contributes significantly to understanding the ageing effect of the optical and chemical properties of aerosols as the pollution from the Indo-Gangetic Plain disperses over the tropical ocean.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Meteorologi och atmosfärforskning (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Klimatforskning (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Climate Research (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

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