Radiative forcing due to major aerosol emitting sectors in China and India

Understanding the radiative forcing caused by anthropogenic aerosol sources is essential for making effective emission control decisions to mitigate climate change. We examined the net direct plus indirect radiative forcing caused by carbonaceous aerosol and sulfur emissions in key sectors of China and India using the GISS-E2 chemistry-climate model. Diesel trucks and buses (67 mW m-2) and residential biofuel combustion (52 mW m-2) in India have the largest global mean, annual average forcings due mainly to the direct and indirect effects of BC. Emissions from these two sectors in China have near-zero net global forcings. Coal-fired power plants in both countries exert a negative forcing of about -30 mW m-2 from production of sulfate. Aerosol forcings are largest locally, with direct forcings due to residential biofuel combustion of 580 mW m-2 over India and 416 mW m-2 over China, but they extend as far as North America, Europe, and the Arctic. Key Points Direct and indirect effects of aerosol sources are quantified Residential biofuel combustion in India has the largest local forcing Local aerosol emissions in China cause forcing far away, including the Arctic. © 2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Duke Scholars

Author Drew Todd Shindell Earth and Climate Sciences