The impact of uncertainty in black carbon's refractive index on simulated optical depth and radiative forcing

• Published in: Atmospheric chemistry and physics Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 3109 - 3130
• Main Authors: Digby, Ruth A. R., von Salzen, Knut, Monahan, Adam H., Gillett, Nathan P., Li, Jiangnan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 14.03.2025; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Absorption; Aerosol optical depth; Aerosols; Aggregates; Algorithms; Approximation; Atmospheric models; Black carbon; Carbon; Climate change; Earth; Emission inventories; Equipment and supplies; Estimates; Fiber optics; Intercomparison; Optical analysis; Optical properties; Optical thickness; Parameterization; Polders; Radiation; Radiative forcing; Refractive index; Refractivity; Spectroradiometers; Surface properties; Uncertainty; British Columbia

The radiative forcing of black carbon (BC) is subject to many complex, interconnected sources of uncertainty. Here we isolate the role of the refractive index, which determines the extent to which BC absorbs and scatters radiation. We compare four refractive index schemes: three that are commonly us...