Seminar

Abstract

Black carbon aerosol plays a complex role in our climate system. It is the primary absorbing aerosol in the atmosphere, influences cloud properties, and alters snow and ice albedo. The distribution and categories of black carbon emission sources are highly diverse. Large gaps and uncertainties exist in our ability to measure and model black carbon abundances and properties. "Bounding the role of black carbon in the climate system: A scientific assessment" is the title of a paper recently accepted by the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres. This assessment provides an evaluation of black-carbon climate forcing that is comprehensive in its inclusion of all known and relevant processes and that is quantitative in providing best estimates and uncertainties of the main forcing terms. An overview of this assessment effort and the principal results will be presented.