Billions upon billions of soot particles enter Earth’s atmosphere each second, totaling about 5.8 million metric tons a year — posing a climate-warming impact previously estimated at almost one-third that of carbon dioxide. Now, researchers say the climate-altering properties of these particles can change within just hours of becoming airborne, rather than days as previously assumed. A study led by researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has revealed the surprising speed at which soot particles gather chemicals and water vapor after being released into the atmosphere.
Researchers say this rapid transformation of airborne soot — known as “atmospheric aging” — could mean its impact on weather, climate and air quality occurs more quickly, and in ways not fully captured by current atmospheric models up until now. The findings have been highlighted on the cover of Environmental Science & Technology.
“Soot is a unique aerosol that absorbs sunlight extremely well but barely scatters it, which makes it a potent climate agent from the moment it’s emitted,” said Alexei Khalizov, professor of chemistry at NJIT and senior author of the study funded by the National Science Foundation. “What’s surprised us is just how quickly soot changes after entering the air, dramatically altering its ability to warm or cool the atmosphere. Our results suggest that forecasting soot’s climate impact is far more complex than previously realized.” To read the full story.