Organization(s):
National Science Foundation (NSF)
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Oceanography (Honolulu)
University of Hawaii at Manoa
What does this program measure?
We are measuring particles that contain carbon, which we call “organic carbon aerosols,” or OC.
We express the results in terms of the mass of OC per cubic meter of air, or µg OC/m 3. We are also
measuring light absorption by elemental carbon (EC or soot).
How does this program work?
We use a “thermal-optical technique.” Air is pulled through a quartz filter, so that any OC
particles are trapped on the filter. We have to sample for many hours to get enough OC to measure accurately.
Then the sample flow is stopped and the filter is heated up to drive off the OC. All vaporized carbon is
converted to carbon dioxide (CO2), which is then measured by an infrared absorption device. EC is
measured by seeing how much the quartz filter is darkened.
Why is this research important?
Atmospheric particles affect the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth, by reflecting (scattering) some
of the incoming sunlight back to space. Thus, they often have a cooling effect on climate. EC also absorbs
light, so it can cause a warming effect. However, there are almost no measurements of OC or EC particles in the
Free Troposphere (FT, from about 1 km to 15 km altitude) that can be used to see whether numerical climate
models are accurately simulating the impact of OC and EC. Our measurements will be used to test those models
and (if necessary) make them more accurate.
Are there any trends in the data?
We don’t yet know, since we just started the project.
How does this program fit into the big picture?
What is it's role in global climate change?
Aerosols in the Free Troposphere are among the many things that impact the energy balance of the Earth. This
project is quantifying one of those impacts so that overall climate models can be made more accurate.
Comments and References
- This work complements our inorganic aerosol measurements, which have been underway for 1 ½
decades. Until recently it was believed that sulfuric acid and sulfate salts were almost the only FT
aerosols other than occasional dust from Asia. By measuring both OC and sulfates, we can see if OC is also
significant.
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