There is an emergence of interest in the role of Black carbon in global warming since aerosols may modify the planetary albedo. The issue has engaged the attention of scientists and experts in addressing the scientific questions associated with sources, transport and impact of Black Carbon worldwide. The latest scientific studies indicate positive contributions to global warming. However the magnitude of the impact of aerosol on climate remains uncertain.
Aerosols are suspended particulates in the atmosphere. The composition of aerosols varies depending on the sources and temporal and spatial variations. Sulphate aerosols cool the atmosphere. Black carbon (BC) is the soot released in the atmosphere due to indoor combustion of bio-fuels such as wood, dung and crop residue in cook stoves and in outdoors, it is released from combustion of diesel, coal and open biomass burning (forest fires, cut and slash burning in forests, and crop residue burning on fields). The lifetime of black carbon in the atmosphere is small compared to the Greenhouse gases. Black carbon sources vary by regions. On a global basis, approximately 20 per cent of black carbon is emitted from burning bio-fuels, 40 per cent from fossil fuels and 40 per cent from burning biomass in the open.
The knowledge and understanding on aspects such as vertical distribution and mixing of Black Carbon with other aerosols, effects of cloud cover and monsoon still remains uncertain and incomplete. There is thus a need to have better understanding on the following science questions :
• The contribution of black carbon aerosols to regional warming.
• Role of black carbon on atmospheric stability and the consequent effect on cloud formation and monsoon.
• Role of black carbon in altering the ability of hygroscopic aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei.
• Role of BC-Induced low-level temperature inversions and their role in formation of fog especially over northern India.
• Role of black carbon on Himalayan glacier retreat.
With the launch of INCCA in October 2009, the Minister of Environment & Forests of the Government of India had announced a comprehensive study on Black carbon not only to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the role of Black carbon in the context of global warming but also to address the sources and impacts of the black carbon on melting of glaciers.
The Black Carbon Research Initiative builds on the existing work and sets out the science programme to respond to the scientific questions. The science plan has been developed through an intensive consultative process and with the involvement of experts in the subject and builds upon the work of ISRO, MoES and other experts countrywide. The initiative is visualised as an ambitious programme with the involvement of over 101 institutions with 65 observatories nationwide.
The study would lead to long-term monitoring of aerosols; monitoring of impact of BC on snow and; estimating magnitude of BC sources using inventory (bottom-up) and inverse modeling (top-down) approaches and modeling BC atmospheric transport and climate impact. The major expected outcomes are understanding the effect of change in albedo due to black carbon on seasonal snow and glacier melt; estimation of albedo and; reflectance of seasonal snow and glacier, glacier depth and mass balance, using airborne sensors like laser altimeter, ground penetrating radar and pyranometer; modeling effect of enhanced melting on glacier mass balance and retreat and; development of snow/glacier melt runoff models to understand the influence of changes in snow and glacier melt pattern.
Aerosols are suspended particulates in the atmosphere. The composition of aerosols varies depending on the sources and temporal and spatial variations. Sulphate aerosols cool the atmosphere. Black carbon (BC) is the soot released in the atmosphere due to indoor combustion of bio-fuels such as wood, dung and crop residue in cook stoves and in outdoors, it is released from combustion of diesel, coal and open biomass burning (forest fires, cut and slash burning in forests, and crop residue burning on fields). The lifetime of black carbon in the atmosphere is small compared to the Greenhouse gases. Black carbon sources vary by regions. On a global basis, approximately 20 per cent of black carbon is emitted from burning bio-fuels, 40 per cent from fossil fuels and 40 per cent from burning biomass in the open.
The knowledge and understanding on aspects such as vertical distribution and mixing of Black Carbon with other aerosols, effects of cloud cover and monsoon still remains uncertain and incomplete. There is thus a need to have better understanding on the following science questions :
• The contribution of black carbon aerosols to regional warming.
• Role of black carbon on atmospheric stability and the consequent effect on cloud formation and monsoon.
• Role of black carbon in altering the ability of hygroscopic aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei.
• Role of BC-Induced low-level temperature inversions and their role in formation of fog especially over northern India.
• Role of black carbon on Himalayan glacier retreat.
With the launch of INCCA in October 2009, the Minister of Environment & Forests of the Government of India had announced a comprehensive study on Black carbon not only to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the role of Black carbon in the context of global warming but also to address the sources and impacts of the black carbon on melting of glaciers.
The Black Carbon Research Initiative builds on the existing work and sets out the science programme to respond to the scientific questions. The science plan has been developed through an intensive consultative process and with the involvement of experts in the subject and builds upon the work of ISRO, MoES and other experts countrywide. The initiative is visualised as an ambitious programme with the involvement of over 101 institutions with 65 observatories nationwide.
The study would lead to long-term monitoring of aerosols; monitoring of impact of BC on snow and; estimating magnitude of BC sources using inventory (bottom-up) and inverse modeling (top-down) approaches and modeling BC atmospheric transport and climate impact. The major expected outcomes are understanding the effect of change in albedo due to black carbon on seasonal snow and glacier melt; estimation of albedo and; reflectance of seasonal snow and glacier, glacier depth and mass balance, using airborne sensors like laser altimeter, ground penetrating radar and pyranometer; modeling effect of enhanced melting on glacier mass balance and retreat and; development of snow/glacier melt runoff models to understand the influence of changes in snow and glacier melt pattern.
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