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Pole-to-Pole Distribution of Stratospheric Black Carbon (Soot) Aerosol from AircraftThe distribution of black carbon (soot) aerosol (BCA) in the atmosphere is of interest for several reasons: (1) Because BCA has the highest absorption cross section of any compound known, it can absorb solar radiation to cause atmospheric warming. (2) Because it is a strong adsorber of gases, it can catalyze heterogeneous reactions to change the chemical composition of the atmosphere.(3) If aircraft are a major source of BCA, it is an important tracer of aircraft emissions. Analysis for BCA of impactor samples from Arctic and Antarctic deployments, utilizing particle morphology of scanning electron microscopy images, permits the following conclusions: (1) The BCA concentration in the northern stratosphere varies between 0 and 2.6 ng m-3 averaging 0.6 ng/cu m. (2) This BCA loading is commensurate with estimated fuel consumptions in the stratosphere by the current commercial fleet and an emission index E=0.03 g BCA per kg fuel burnt which was measured in jet exhaust at al titude.Thus, most stratospheric BCA in the northern stratosphere results from aircraft emissions. The background BCA concentration in the southern stratosphere varies between 0 and 0.6 ng cu m averaging 0.1 ng/cu m. This strong meridional gradient implies that stratospheric BCA residence time- is shorter than are mixing times between hemispheres. Projected annual fuel consumption of a future supersonic commercial fleet is 7E13 g. This fleet would increase stratospheric BCA loadings by a factor of 2-3, because almost all fuel would be burnt above the tropopause. An improved EI(BCA) by a factor of ten would result in an increase of stratospheric BCA loadings by approximately 50 %.
Document ID
20020041487
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Pueschel, R. F.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Ferry, G. V.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Verma, S.
(TMA Norcal, Inc. Richmond, CA United States)
Howard, S. D.
(Synernet Corp. Fremont, CA United States)
Strawa, Anthony W.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1995
Subject Category
Geophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Geophysical Union 1995 Spring Meeting
Location: Baltimore, MD
Country: United States
Start Date: May 30, 1995
End Date: June 2, 1995
Sponsors: American Geophysical Union
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 464-14-16
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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