Séminaire
Black carbon is a light-absorbing aerosol species that heats the atmosphere through solar energy absorption. After it deposits to the surface, black carbon can also accelerate snow and ice melt by reducing surface albedo. Societal interest in black carbon has arisen because it is a short-lived warming agent, indicating limited potential to mitigate near-term climate change through targeted actions that would also benefit air quality. Here, I explore some of the mechanisms through which black carbon and other co-emitted species influence Arctic climate, which is uniquely influenced by processes such as snow darkening, boundary layer heating, and altered poleward heat flux. Modeling studies from a recent report by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) will be highlighted.
Jennie Thomas (jennie.thomas@latmos.ipsl.fr)