Title
Evaluation of the size segregation of elemental carbon (EC) emission in Europe: Influence on the simulation of EC long-range transportation
Author
Chen, Y.
Cheng, Y.F.
Nordmann, S.
Birmili, W.
Denier Van Der Gon, H.A.C.
Ma, N.
Wolke, R.
Wehner, B.
Sun, J.
Spindler, G.
Mu, Q.
Pöschl, U.
Su, H.
Wiedensohler, A.
Publication year
2016
Abstract
Elemental Carbon (EC) has a significant impact on human health and climate change. In order to evaluate the size segregation of EC emission in the EUCAARI inventory and investigate its influence on the simulation of EC long-range transportation in Europe, we used the fully coupled online Weather Research and Forecasting/Chemistry model (WRF-Chem) at a resolution of 2 km focusing on a region in Germany, in conjunction with a high-resolution EC emission inventory. The ground meteorology conditions, vertical structure and wind pattern were well reproduced by the model. The simulations of particle number and/or mass size distributions were evaluated with observations at the central European background site Melpitz. The fine mode particle concentration was reasonably well simulated, but the coarse mode was substantially overestimated by the model mainly due to the plume with high EC concentration in coarse mode emitted by a nearby point source. The comparisons between simulated EC and Multi-angle Absorption Photometers (MAAP) measurements at Melpitz, Leipzig-TROPOS and Bösel indicated that the coarse mode EC (ECc) emitted from the nearby point sources might be overestimated by a factor of 2-10. The fraction of ECc was overestimated in the emission inventory by about 10-30 % for Russia and 5-10 % for Eastern Europe (e.g., Poland and Belarus). This incorrect size-dependent EC emission results in a shorter atmospheric life time of EC particles and inhibits the long-range transport of EC. A case study showed that this effect caused an underestimation of 20-40 % in the EC mass concentration in Germany under eastern wind pattern. © 2016 Author(s).
Subject
Urban Mobility & Environment
CAS - Climate, Air and Sustainability
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences
Environment & Sustainability
Environment
Urbanisation
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c7699491-a23d-4925-a636-92344dde64bc
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1823-2016
TNO identifier
533509
Publisher
Copernicus GmbH
ISSN
1680-7316
Source
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16 (3), 1823-1835
Document type
article