Long-Term Trends (~1850 - 2007) of Atmospheric Elemental Carbon Concentrations: Measurements and Comparison with Model Estimates

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The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate a technique for determining the concentration of atmospheric elemental carbon (EC) across the northeastern US over the last ~ 150 years and compare the results with model predictions based on emissions from fossil fuel combustion and forest fires. EC impacts on earth's temperature, visibility, and human health. The sources of EC aerosols have changed much during the last century, and it is highly likely that these changes are reflected in atmospheric concentrations of EC. Long-term EC data is scarce, but measurements in ice-cores and sediments have suggested that EC has increased in modern times due to increased fossil fuels consumption.Atmospheric EC will be determined using the thermal-optical method in filters collected from 1978 to 2007 at Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks of New York and from 1983 to 2007 at rural Mayville, 530 km upwind of Whiteface Mountain. A novel approach will be tested to extend the database to ~1850 using sediments from lakes in the same area. This project will establish whether EC concentrations in lake sediments can be accurately related to atmospheric concentrations thus enabling the extension of the record. If this approach proves to be successful, then a long-term record of an important climate forcing agent can be established, which will be of great interest to the climate modeling community. The project will provide training for a Ph. D. Student and a postdoctoral researcher.