DATE2025.01.22 #Press Releases
High-resolution analyses of concentrations and sizes of refractory black carbon particles deposited in northwestern Greenland over the past 350 years
-Restoration of Fossil Fuel Burning and Forest Fires and Estimation of Snow Albedo Decline
Summary
A research group led by Project Professor Kumiko Goto-Azuma of the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) analyzed ice cores drilled in northwestern Greenland using a system combining an improved black carbon analyzer and an ice core continuous melting analyzer to reconstruct the concentration and grain size of black carbon (BC) over the past 350 years on a monthly basis The BC concentration and particle size over the past 350 years were reconstructed on a monthly basis. This revealed significant differences between winter and summer BC concentration patterns over time. Mainly due to BC generated by fossil fuel burning in North America, winter BC concentrations increased from the late 19th century, peaked at the beginning of the 20th century, then decreased, and in recent years have declined to pre-industrial revolution levels. On the other hand, there was a slight downward trend in the concentration of summer BC generated from forest fires in North America and other regions. In addition, this research has reconstructed the grain size of BC from pre-industrial times for the first time in the world, revealing the fact that the grain size of BC originating from fossil fuels was larger than that from forest fires, a fact that is contrary to the established theory.
Figure: Interannual variation of the 10-year average of winter (January) and summer (June) black carbon (BC) concentrations at SIGMA-D site in northwestern Greenland.
Associate Professor Makoto Koike of the Department of Earth and Planetary Science participated in this research.
Related links: National Institute of Polar Research, Nagoya University, Hokkaido University
Published Journals
-
Journal name Atmospheric Chemistry and PhysicsTitle of paper