Black Carbon
Black carbon is the sooty material produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass. It is a strong absorber of sunlight, so it warms the atmosphere, and when it settles on snow and ice it darkens the surface and speeds melting.
Black carbon is the sooty material produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass. It is a strong absorber of sunlight, so it warms the atmosphere, and when it settles on snow and ice it darkens the surface and speeds melting.
Sources: Where Does Soot Come From?
Main sources include diesel engines, coal burning, cooking and heating with wood and dung, and open burning of forests and crops, as in wildfires. Black carbon forms as tiny particles, a few tens to hundreds of nanometers across, and is a part of fine particulate matter that is harmful to the lungs and heart.
Climate Effects: How Does It Warm the Planet?
Black carbon absorbs sunlight in the air, adding energy to the atmosphere, and it affects cloud formation as an aerosol. It has a direct effect on radiative forcing, and its deposition on snow and ice lowers the albedo, which matters in the cryosphere and contributes to Arctic amplification.
Short Lifetime: Why Is It a Policy Target?
Unlike carbon dioxide, which persists for centuries, black carbon stays in the air for only days to weeks before rain washes it out. Cutting emissions with cleaner cookstoves, diesel particle filters and bans on open burning cools the climate quickly and improves health at the same time. It is considered together with other short-lived climate pollutants in the Earth's energy budget.
Black Carbon at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Source | Incomplete combustion |
| Lifetime in air | Days to weeks |
| Effects | Atmospheric warming and snow darkening |