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

该项目的主要目标是展示一种测定过去~ 150年来美国东北部大气元素碳（EC）浓度的技术，并将结果与基于化石燃料燃烧和森林火灾排放的模型预测结果进行比较。欧共体影响地球温度、能见度和人类健康。欧共体气溶胶的来源在上个世纪发生了很大变化，这些变化极有可能反映在大气中欧共体的浓度上。长期的EC数据很少，但对冰芯和沉积物的测量表明，由于化石燃料消耗的增加，EC在现代有所增加。大气EC将使用热光学方法测定，这些滤光片收集于1978年至2007年在纽约阿迪朗达克的白面山和1983年至2007年在白面山逆风530公里的梅维尔农村。将测试一种新的方法，利用同一地区湖泊的沉积物将数据库扩展到1850年。该项目将确定湖泊沉积物中的EC浓度是否可以准确地与大气浓度相关联，从而使记录得以扩展。如果这种方法被证明是成功的，那么就可以建立一个重要的气候强迫因子的长期记录，这将引起气候模拟界的极大兴趣。该项目将培养1名博士生和1名博士后。

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.