Individual particle morphology, coatings, and impurities of black carbon aerosols in Antarctic ice and tropical rainfall

Aja Ellis; Ross Edwards; Martin Saunders; Rajan K. Chakrabarty; R. Subramanian; Nicholas E. Timms; Arie van Riessen; Andrew M. Smith; Dionisia Lambrinidis; Laurie J. Nunes; Paul Vallelonga; Ian D. Goodwin; Andrew D. Moy; Mark A J Curran; Tas D. van Ommen

doi:10.1002/2016GL071042

Individual particle morphology, coatings, and impurities of black carbon aerosols in Antarctic ice and tropical rainfall

Aja Ellis, Ross Edwards^*, Martin Saunders, Rajan K. Chakrabarty, R. Subramanian, Nicholas E. Timms, Arie van Riessen, Andrew M. Smith, Dionisia Lambrinidis, Laurie J. Nunes, Paul Vallelonga, Ian D. Goodwin, Andrew D. Moy, Mark A J Curran, Tas D. van Ommen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Black carbon (BC) aerosols are a large source of climate warming, impact atmospheric chemistry, and are implicated in large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation. Inventories of BC emissions suggest significant changes in the global BC aerosol distribution due to human activity. However, little is known regarding BC's atmospheric distribution or aged particle characteristics before the twentieth century. Here we investigate the prevalence and structural properties of BC particles in Antarctic ice cores from 1759, 1838, and 1930 Common Era (C.E.) using transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The study revealed an unexpected diversity in particle morphology, insoluble coatings, and association with metals. In addition to conventionally occurring BC aggregates, we observed single BC monomers, complex aggregates with internally, and externally mixed metal and mineral impurities, tar balls, and organonitrogen coatings. The results of the study show BC particles in the remote Antarctic atmosphere exhibit complexity that is unaccounted for in atmospheric models of BC.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	11,875-11,883
Number of pages	9
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	43
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071042
Publication status	Published - 28 Nov 2016

Keywords

Antarctica
black carbon
ice core
iron
particle characteristics

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10.1002/2016GL071042

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Ellis, A., Edwards, R., Saunders, M., Chakrabarty, R. K., Subramanian, R., Timms, N. E., van Riessen, A., Smith, A. M., Lambrinidis, D., Nunes, L. J., Vallelonga, P., Goodwin, I. D., Moy, A. D., Curran, M. A. J., & van Ommen, T. D. (2016). Individual particle morphology, coatings, and impurities of black carbon aerosols in Antarctic ice and tropical rainfall. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(22), 11,875-11,883. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071042

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title = "Individual particle morphology, coatings, and impurities of black carbon aerosols in Antarctic ice and tropical rainfall",

abstract = "Black carbon (BC) aerosols are a large source of climate warming, impact atmospheric chemistry, and are implicated in large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation. Inventories of BC emissions suggest significant changes in the global BC aerosol distribution due to human activity. However, little is known regarding BC's atmospheric distribution or aged particle characteristics before the twentieth century. Here we investigate the prevalence and structural properties of BC particles in Antarctic ice cores from 1759, 1838, and 1930 Common Era (C.E.) using transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The study revealed an unexpected diversity in particle morphology, insoluble coatings, and association with metals. In addition to conventionally occurring BC aggregates, we observed single BC monomers, complex aggregates with internally, and externally mixed metal and mineral impurities, tar balls, and organonitrogen coatings. The results of the study show BC particles in the remote Antarctic atmosphere exhibit complexity that is unaccounted for in atmospheric models of BC.",

keywords = "Antarctica, black carbon, ice core, iron, particle characteristics",

author = "Aja Ellis and Ross Edwards and Martin Saunders and Chakrabarty, {Rajan K.} and R. Subramanian and Timms, {Nicholas E.} and {van Riessen}, Arie and Smith, {Andrew M.} and Dionisia Lambrinidis and Nunes, {Laurie J.} and Paul Vallelonga and Goodwin, {Ian D.} and Moy, {Andrew D.} and Curran, {Mark A J} and {van Ommen}, {Tas D.}",

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Ellis, A, Edwards, R, Saunders, M, Chakrabarty, RK, Subramanian, R, Timms, NE, van Riessen, A, Smith, AM, Lambrinidis, D, Nunes, LJ, Vallelonga, P, Goodwin, ID, Moy, AD, Curran, MAJ & van Ommen, TD 2016, 'Individual particle morphology, coatings, and impurities of black carbon aerosols in Antarctic ice and tropical rainfall', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 43, no. 22, pp. 11,875-11,883. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071042

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AU - Ellis, Aja

AU - Edwards, Ross

AU - Saunders, Martin

AU - Chakrabarty, Rajan K.

AU - Subramanian, R.

AU - Timms, Nicholas E.

AU - van Riessen, Arie

AU - Smith, Andrew M.

AU - Lambrinidis, Dionisia

AU - Nunes, Laurie J.

AU - Vallelonga, Paul

AU - Goodwin, Ian D.

AU - Moy, Andrew D.

AU - Curran, Mark A J

AU - van Ommen, Tas D.

PY - 2016/11/28

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N2 - Black carbon (BC) aerosols are a large source of climate warming, impact atmospheric chemistry, and are implicated in large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation. Inventories of BC emissions suggest significant changes in the global BC aerosol distribution due to human activity. However, little is known regarding BC's atmospheric distribution or aged particle characteristics before the twentieth century. Here we investigate the prevalence and structural properties of BC particles in Antarctic ice cores from 1759, 1838, and 1930 Common Era (C.E.) using transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The study revealed an unexpected diversity in particle morphology, insoluble coatings, and association with metals. In addition to conventionally occurring BC aggregates, we observed single BC monomers, complex aggregates with internally, and externally mixed metal and mineral impurities, tar balls, and organonitrogen coatings. The results of the study show BC particles in the remote Antarctic atmosphere exhibit complexity that is unaccounted for in atmospheric models of BC.

AB - Black carbon (BC) aerosols are a large source of climate warming, impact atmospheric chemistry, and are implicated in large-scale changes in atmospheric circulation. Inventories of BC emissions suggest significant changes in the global BC aerosol distribution due to human activity. However, little is known regarding BC's atmospheric distribution or aged particle characteristics before the twentieth century. Here we investigate the prevalence and structural properties of BC particles in Antarctic ice cores from 1759, 1838, and 1930 Common Era (C.E.) using transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The study revealed an unexpected diversity in particle morphology, insoluble coatings, and association with metals. In addition to conventionally occurring BC aggregates, we observed single BC monomers, complex aggregates with internally, and externally mixed metal and mineral impurities, tar balls, and organonitrogen coatings. The results of the study show BC particles in the remote Antarctic atmosphere exhibit complexity that is unaccounted for in atmospheric models of BC.

KW - Antarctica

KW - black carbon

KW - ice core

KW - iron

KW - particle characteristics

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Individual particle morphology, coatings, and impurities of black carbon aerosols in Antarctic ice and tropical rainfall

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Ultra-trace analytical facility for earth system change

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Individual particle morphology, coatings, and impurities of black carbon aerosols in Antarctic ice and tropical rainfall

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Ultra-trace analytical facility for earth system change

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