Introduction
Carbonaceous aerosols are a major component of atmospheric particulate matter and play an important role in climate forcing, air quality, and human health. They are commonly classified into black carbon (BC), brown carbon (BrC), and organic carbon (OC) according to their optical properties, chemical composition, and emission sources. Black carbon is a strongly light-absorbing component produced primarily by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. Brown carbon refers to a group of light-absorbing organic compounds that absorb mainly in the ultraviolet and visible spectral ranges, thereby contributing to atmospheric warming. Organic carbon represents the broader class of carbon-containing organic compounds present in aerosols, including both primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol formed through atmospheric chemical reactions.
Combustion processes emit carbon to the atmosphere in several chemical forms, including both gaseous and particulate species. The main species include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), organic carbon (OC), and black carbon (BC). Although these components differ in chemical behaviour, atmospheric lifetime, and radiative properties, they originate from common combustion-related sources such as fossil fuel use, biomass burning, industrial processes, and residential heating.
The term burnt carbon refers to the aggregated carbon mass emitted through combustion, defined as the sum of the carbon contained in CO, CO₂, CH₄, OC, and BC. This integrated parameter provides a comprehensive representation of total carbon released by combustion processes and can support carbon budget assessments, emission inventory harmonization, and comparisons between atmospheric observations and emission models.
Not all of these species are currently defined in Common Code Table C14. This proposal aims to introduce the missing species.
Amendment details
ADD to the common code table C14
| Code |
Description |
Formula |
| 62038 |
Brown carbon hydrophilic dry |
|
| 62039 |
Brown carbon hydrophobic dry |
|
| 62040 |
Organic carbon dry |
|
| 62041 |
Organic carbon hydrophilic dry |
|
| 62042 |
Organic carbon hydrophobic dry |
|
| 62043 |
Total carbon dry |
|
| 62044 |
Total carbon hydrophilic dry |
|
| 62045 |
Total carbon hydrophobic dry |
|
| 62046 |
Burnt carbon as sum of carbon in all carbon species (CO, CO2, OC, BC, Ch4) |
|
Requestor(s)
Sebastien Villaume (ECMWF)
Robert Osinski (ECMWF)
Stakeholder(s)
ECMWF
Expected impact of change
MEDIUM
Consultations
No response
Data exchange plans
No response
Comments
No response
Introduction
Carbonaceous aerosols are a major component of atmospheric particulate matter and play an important role in climate forcing, air quality, and human health. They are commonly classified into black carbon (BC), brown carbon (BrC), and organic carbon (OC) according to their optical properties, chemical composition, and emission sources. Black carbon is a strongly light-absorbing component produced primarily by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. Brown carbon refers to a group of light-absorbing organic compounds that absorb mainly in the ultraviolet and visible spectral ranges, thereby contributing to atmospheric warming. Organic carbon represents the broader class of carbon-containing organic compounds present in aerosols, including both primary emissions and secondary organic aerosol formed through atmospheric chemical reactions.
Combustion processes emit carbon to the atmosphere in several chemical forms, including both gaseous and particulate species. The main species include carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), organic carbon (OC), and black carbon (BC). Although these components differ in chemical behaviour, atmospheric lifetime, and radiative properties, they originate from common combustion-related sources such as fossil fuel use, biomass burning, industrial processes, and residential heating.
The term burnt carbon refers to the aggregated carbon mass emitted through combustion, defined as the sum of the carbon contained in CO, CO₂, CH₄, OC, and BC. This integrated parameter provides a comprehensive representation of total carbon released by combustion processes and can support carbon budget assessments, emission inventory harmonization, and comparisons between atmospheric observations and emission models.
Not all of these species are currently defined in Common Code Table C14. This proposal aims to introduce the missing species.
Amendment details
ADD to the common code table C14
Requestor(s)
Sebastien Villaume (ECMWF)
Robert Osinski (ECMWF)
Stakeholder(s)
ECMWF
Expected impact of change
MEDIUM
Consultations
No response
Data exchange plans
No response
Comments
No response