Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 10 3 2010 10.5194/acpd-10-6279-2010 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/6279/2010/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/6279/2010/acpd-10-6279-2010.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/6279/2010/acpd-10-6279-2010.pdf 6279 6300 2010-03-08 Brown carbon in tar balls from smoldering biomass combustion R. K. Chakrabarty H. Moosmüller L.-W. A. Chen K. Lewis W. P. Arnott C. Mazzolen M. Dubey C. E. Wold W. M. Hao S. M. Kreidenweis Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, MI 49931, USA Geochemistry and Climate Focus Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM 87547, USA Fire Sciences Laboratory, USDA Forest Service, Missoula, MT 59808, USA Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, CO 80523, USA We report the direct observation of large-scale production of spherical, carbonaceous particles – "tar balls" – from smoldering combustion of two commonly occurring dry mid-latitude fuels. Real-time measurements indicate that brown carbon is an important component of tar balls. The spectrum of the imaginary parts of their complex refractive indices can be described with a Lorentzian-like model with an effective resonance wavelength in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral region. Sensitivity calculations for aerosols containing traditional organic carbon (no absorption at visible and UV wavelengths) and brown carbon suggest that accounting for UV absorption by brown carbon leads to a significant increase in aerosol radiative forcing efficiency and increased atmospheric warming. Since particles from smoldering combustion account for nearly three-fourths of the total carbonaceous aerosol mass emitted globally, inclusion of the optical properties of tar balls into radiative forcing models has significance for the Earth's radiation budget, optical remote sensing, and understanding of anomalous UV absorption in the troposphere. Abu-Rahmah, A., Arnott, W. P., and Moosmüller, H.: Integrating nephelometer with a low truncation angle and an extended calibration scheme, Meas. Sci. Technol., 17, 1723–1732, 2006. Alexander, D. T. L., Crozier, P. A., and Anderson, J. R.: Brown carbon spheres in east asian outflow and their optical properties, Science, 321, 833–836, 2008. 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