Eddy covariance measurements of black carbon emissions in central London
- 1University of Manchester, School of Nature Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales
- 2National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 3UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Penicuik, United Kingdom
- 4Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- 5National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- 6Department of Atmospheric Sciences, School of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310027 China
- 7Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 USA
- 8School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- 9now at: James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom
Black carbon (BC) is a significant environmental health and climate forcing concern. Direct measurement of black carbon fluxes using eddy covariance can quantify emissions and identify sources. Previous studies have quantified urban black carbon emissions in highly polluted countries such as China and India, but to date no research has been done in the UK and Europe. This study uses an eddy covariance system using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) deployed on the BT Tower in London to directly measure BC fluxes in central London. This is as part of the UK Integrated Research Observation System for Clean Air (OSCA). We have produced some primary results including time series of black carbon concentrations and fluxes in central London in winter and summer and diurnal profiles. Comparisons with NOx and organic matter fluxes are also underway to identify the main sources of black carbon in central London and suggest that due to recent emissions controls, cooking may now be the most significant local source rather than transport or space heating.
How to cite: Cheng, Z., Allan, J., Hu, D., Nemitz, E., Langford, B., Helfter, C., Drysdale, W., Lee, J., Cash, J., Cliff, S., Liu, D., and Rutambhara, J.: Eddy covariance measurements of black carbon emissions in central London, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7589, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7589, 2023.
