Climate Impacts

Aerosol particles in the atmosphere can have both direct and indirect impacts on climate. Particles can both scatter sunlight and absorb it, resulting in either direct warming or cooling. Black carbon in particles contributes substantially to warming while sulphate will scatter light and contribute to cooling.

We are investigating how the optical properties of particles are influenced by their composition and mixing state. We have also examined how the absorption of light by black carbon can be amplified when particles are coated by other compounds. We have examined the contributions of different pollution sources to radiative forcing; here we found a previous unidentified source of black carbon originating from the US. We are currently interested in identifying co-benefits to climate and health of reducing fossil fuel emissions.

Publications

  • R. M. Healy, J. M. Wang, U. Sofowote, Y. Su, J. Debosz, M. Noble, A. Munoz, C.-H. Jeong, N. Hilker, G. J. Evans and G. Doerksen “Black carbon in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia: Impact of 2017 wildfires on local air quality and aerosol optical properties” Accepted Atmos. Environ. 217 Sept 2019  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.116976
  • Macdonald K.M., S. Sharma, D. Toom, A. Chivulescu, A. Platt, M. Elsasser, L. Huang, R. Leaitch, N. Chellman, J. R. McConnell, H. Bozem, D. Kunke, Y. D. Lei, C-H Jeong, J.P. D. Abbatt, and G. J. Evans “Temporally-Delineated Sources of Major Chemical Species in High Arctic Snow” Atm. Chem. and Phys. 18 3485-3503, 2018 https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-3485-2018   (IF 5.4)a.   
  • Zimmerman, N.; J. Wang, C-H Jeong, J. Wallace, G.J. Evans “Assessing the climate tradeoffs of gasoline direct injection engines” Env. Sci. & Technol. 50(15) 8395-8392, 2016 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b01800.
  • Macdonald K.M., S. Sharma, D. Toom, A. Chivulescu, S. Hanna, A. Bertram, A. Platt, M. Elsasser, L. Huang, N. Chellman, J. R. McConnell, H. Bozem, D. Kunkel, Y. D. Lei, G. J. Evans, J. P. D. Abbatt “Observations of Atmospheric Chemical Deposition to High Arctic Snow” Atm. Chem. and Phys. 17, 5775-5788, 2017. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-944