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Radiative forcing due to major aerosol emitting sectors in China and India
Author(s) -
Streets David G.,
Shindell Drew T.,
Lu Zifeng,
Faluvegi Greg
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50805
Subject(s) - radiative forcing , environmental science , aerosol , atmospheric sciences , climatology , forcing (mathematics) , radiative transfer , climate change , meteorology , geography , physics , quantum mechanics , geology , ecology , biology
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.