Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 4 2 2004 10.5194/acpd-4-2089-2004 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/4/2089/2004/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/4/2089/2004/acpd-4-2089-2004.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/4/2089/2004/acpd-4-2089-2004.pdf 2089 2115 2004-04-16 A parameterisation of the soot aging for global climate models N. Riemer H. Vogel B. Vogel bernhard.vogel@imk.fzk.de Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California, Davis, USA Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany The representation of soot in global climate models is desirable since it contributes to both the direct and indirect climate effect. While freshly emitted soot is initially hydrophobic and externally mixed, it can be transferred into an internal mixture by coagulation, condensation or photochemical processes. These aging processes affect the hygroscopic qualities and hence the growth behaviour, the optical properties and eventually the lifetime of the soot particles. However, due to computational limits the aging of soot in global climate models is often only parameterised by an estimated turnover rate resulting in a lifetime of soot of several days. Based on the results of our simulations with a comprehensive mesoscale model, we derive the timescale on which diesel soot is transferred from an external to internal mixture, and propose a parameterisation for the use in global climate models. This parameterisation is applicable to continental conditions in industrialised areas as can be found in Central Europe and North America. For daytime conditions, away from the sources, condensation is dominant and the aging process occurs very fast with a timescale of τ=2 h. During night time condensation is not effective. Then coagulation is the most important aging process and our parameterisation leads to a timescale between 10 h and 40 h.