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Observed Interactions Between Black Carbon and Hydrometeor During Wet Scavenging in Mixed‐Phase Clouds
Author(s) -
Ding Shuo,
Zhao Delong,
He Cenlin,
Huang Mengyu,
He Hui,
Tian Ping,
Liu Quan,
Bi Kai,
Yu Chenjie,
Pitt Joseph,
Chen Ying,
Ma Xincheng,
Chen Yunbo,
Jia Xingcan,
Kong Shaofei,
Wu Jian,
Hu Dawei,
Hu Kang,
Ding Deping,
Liu Dantong
Publication year - 2019
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 - 10.1029/2019gl083171
Subject(s) - scavenging , carbon black , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , phase (matter) , carbon fibers , meteorology , geology , physics , materials science , chemistry , biochemistry , natural rubber , composite number , composite material , antioxidant , quantum mechanics
Wet scavenging of black carbon (BC) has been subject to large uncertainty, which importantly determines its atmospheric lifetime and indirect forcing impact on cloud microphysics. This study reveals the complex BC‐hydrometeor interactions in mixed‐phase clouds via single particle measurements in the real‐world environment, by capturing precipitation processes throughout cloud formation, cold rain/graupel, and subsequent snow events at a mountain site influenced by anthropogenic sources in wintertime. We found highly efficient BC wet scavenging during cloud formation, with large and thickly coated BC preferentially incorporated into droplets. During snow processes, BC core sizes in the interstitial phase steadily increased. A mechanism was proposed whereby the BC mass within each droplet was accumulated through droplet collision, leading to larger BC cores, which were then released back to the interstitial air through the Wegener‐Bergeron‐Findeisen processes when ice dominated. These results provide fundamental basis for constraining BC wet scavenging.