- Advanced Science & Technology of Space and Atmospheric Physics Group (ASAG), School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China (zhangyr65@mail2.sysu.edu.cn)
Black carbon (BC), primarily emitted from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, is a significant short-lived climate forcer that increasingly contributes to global climate change and environmental pollution. The BC properties in regions such as Eastern China (EC), Indian Subcontinent (IS), Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and Central South America (CSA) play a crucial role in global emissions due to intensive human activities and biomass burning, affecting air quality, climate change, and human health. Utilizing MERRA-2 reanalysis data and emission inventories, we quantified the long-term spatiotemporal variations and vertical distributions of atmospheric BC, along with anthropogenic emissions across various sectors (2000–2023). Additionally, we comprehensively explored the formation mechanisms of extreme cases in representative cities (Beijing, Delhi, Luanda, and Sucre) in these four regions, integrating meteorological conditions, potential source contribution function and concentration-weighted trajectory analysis. The results indicate consistent annual trends in BC surface concentration (BCSurface) and column density (BCColumn). BC concentrations in IS, SSA, and CSA exhibit an increasing trend, while EC shows a decreasing trend. In EC and IS, BC is primarily from anthropogenic emissions, whereas in SSA and CSA, biomass combustion predominates. Notable variations in anthropogenic BC emissions exist across different regions, with all sectors in SSA exhibiting a marked upward trend. Seasonal patterns are influenced by local meteorological conditions and emissions from both anthropogenic and biomass burning sources. In EC and IS, BC concentrations decline rapidly from 1000 to 850 hPa, while in SSA and CSA, the decline is slower in the lower atmosphere, with a rapid decrease around 700 hPa. High-concentration BC events in representative cities are linked to the interaction of local emissions, adverse meteorological conditions, and regional atmospheric circulation. Our study quantifies the long-term characteristics of BC in major global source regions from multiple perspectives, providing valuable scientific insights for both regional and global atmospheric environmental research and management.
How to cite: Zhang, Y., Han, Y., Liu, Y., Deng, X., Lu, T., Zhou, Q., and Dong, L.: Long-term Assessment of Black Carbon Variation and Mechanisms Driving Extreme Events in Major Global Source Regions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-355, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-355, 2025.