Aerosol radiative forcing due to enhanced black carbon at an urban site in India

[1] During a comprehensive aerosol field campaign, simultaneous measurements were made of aerosol spectral optical depths, black carbon mass concentration (M-b), total (M-t) and size segregated aerosol mass concentrations over an urban continental location, Bangalore (13 degreesN, 77 degreesE, 960 m msl), in India. Large amounts of BC were observed; both in absolute terms and fraction of total mass (similar to11%) and submicron mass (similar to23%) implying a significantly low single scatter albedo. The aerosol visible optical depth (tau(p)) was in the range 0.24 to 0.45. Estimated surface forcing is as high as -23 W m(-2) and top of the atmosphere (TOA) forcing is +5 Wm(-2) during relatively cleaner periods (tau(p) similar to 0.24). The net atmospheric absorption translates to an atmospheric heating of similar to0.8 K day(-1) for cleaner periods and similar to1.5 K day(-1) for less cleaner periods (tau(p) similar to 0.45). Our observations raise several issues, which may have impacts to regional climate and monsoon.