Notable Radiative Effects of Brown Carbon in China Haze

Luyao Wang; Lei Zhang; Gehui Wang; Xingqin An; Can Wu; Yubao Chen; Yuning Xie; Shaojun Lv; Fanglin Wang; Li Li; Yanting Lu; Huizheng Che; Xiaoye Zhang

doi:10.1029/2025GL118037

Notable Radiative Effects of Brown Carbon in China Haze

Luyao Wang, Lei Zhang^*, Gehui Wang^*, Xingqin An, Can Wu, Yubao Chen, Yuning Xie, Shaojun Lv, Fanglin Wang, Li Li, Yanting Lu, Huizheng Che, Xiaoye Zhang

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Geographic Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Brown carbon (BrC), a light-absorbing organic aerosol, remains poorly constrained in climate models due to unclear sources and formation pathways. In this study, we developed a BrC parameterization scheme by applying multivariate regression to observational data in China, relating BrC concentrations to organic carbon, meteorological conditions, and chemical variables. This scheme was implemented into the WRF-Chem model to simulate BrC distributions and radiative effects during a haze episode from 1 January–12, 2019. The simulation revealed BrC concentrations ranging from 2.20 to 69.38 μg/m³ (mean: 11.63 μg/m³), with elevated values in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Central China. BrC absorption notably decreased surface shortwave radiation by 7.07 W/m² and increased atmospheric shortwave radiation by 0.73 W/m², inducing non-negligible land surface cooling, positive pressure anomalies, and higher near-surface humidity. These findings underscore the notable radiative influence of BrC in haze-prone regions of China, with implications for local climate and atmospheric dynamics.

Original language	English
Article number	e2025GL118037
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	52
Issue number	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL118037
State	Published - 16 Sep 2025

Keywords

WRF-chem
brown carbon
haze pollution
meteorological feedback
radiation effect

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1029/2025GL118037

Cite this

@article{d3935e1fe2474d42a52bce9e8282c52f,

title = "Notable Radiative Effects of Brown Carbon in China Haze",

abstract = "Brown carbon (BrC), a light-absorbing organic aerosol, remains poorly constrained in climate models due to unclear sources and formation pathways. In this study, we developed a BrC parameterization scheme by applying multivariate regression to observational data in China, relating BrC concentrations to organic carbon, meteorological conditions, and chemical variables. This scheme was implemented into the WRF-Chem model to simulate BrC distributions and radiative effects during a haze episode from 1 January–12, 2019. The simulation revealed BrC concentrations ranging from 2.20 to 69.38 μg/m3 (mean: 11.63 μg/m3), with elevated values in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Central China. BrC absorption notably decreased surface shortwave radiation by 7.07 W/m2 and increased atmospheric shortwave radiation by 0.73 W/m2, inducing non-negligible land surface cooling, positive pressure anomalies, and higher near-surface humidity. These findings underscore the notable radiative influence of BrC in haze-prone regions of China, with implications for local climate and atmospheric dynamics.",

keywords = "WRF-chem, brown carbon, haze pollution, meteorological feedback, radiation effect",

author = "Luyao Wang and Lei Zhang and Gehui Wang and Xingqin An and Can Wu and Yubao Chen and Yuning Xie and Shaojun Lv and Fanglin Wang and Li Li and Yanting Lu and Huizheng Che and Xiaoye Zhang",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s).",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1029/2025GL118037",

language = "英语",

volume = "52",

journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

issn = "0094-8276",

publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Inc",

number = "17",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Notable Radiative Effects of Brown Carbon in China Haze

AU - Wang, Luyao

AU - Zhang, Lei

AU - Wang, Gehui

AU - An, Xingqin

AU - Wu, Can

AU - Chen, Yubao

AU - Xie, Yuning

AU - Lv, Shaojun

AU - Wang, Fanglin

AU - Li, Li

AU - Lu, Yanting

AU - Che, Huizheng

AU - Zhang, Xiaoye

PY - 2025/9/16

Y1 - 2025/9/16

N2 - Brown carbon (BrC), a light-absorbing organic aerosol, remains poorly constrained in climate models due to unclear sources and formation pathways. In this study, we developed a BrC parameterization scheme by applying multivariate regression to observational data in China, relating BrC concentrations to organic carbon, meteorological conditions, and chemical variables. This scheme was implemented into the WRF-Chem model to simulate BrC distributions and radiative effects during a haze episode from 1 January–12, 2019. The simulation revealed BrC concentrations ranging from 2.20 to 69.38 μg/m3 (mean: 11.63 μg/m3), with elevated values in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Central China. BrC absorption notably decreased surface shortwave radiation by 7.07 W/m2 and increased atmospheric shortwave radiation by 0.73 W/m2, inducing non-negligible land surface cooling, positive pressure anomalies, and higher near-surface humidity. These findings underscore the notable radiative influence of BrC in haze-prone regions of China, with implications for local climate and atmospheric dynamics.

AB - Brown carbon (BrC), a light-absorbing organic aerosol, remains poorly constrained in climate models due to unclear sources and formation pathways. In this study, we developed a BrC parameterization scheme by applying multivariate regression to observational data in China, relating BrC concentrations to organic carbon, meteorological conditions, and chemical variables. This scheme was implemented into the WRF-Chem model to simulate BrC distributions and radiative effects during a haze episode from 1 January–12, 2019. The simulation revealed BrC concentrations ranging from 2.20 to 69.38 μg/m3 (mean: 11.63 μg/m3), with elevated values in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Central China. BrC absorption notably decreased surface shortwave radiation by 7.07 W/m2 and increased atmospheric shortwave radiation by 0.73 W/m2, inducing non-negligible land surface cooling, positive pressure anomalies, and higher near-surface humidity. These findings underscore the notable radiative influence of BrC in haze-prone regions of China, with implications for local climate and atmospheric dynamics.

KW - WRF-chem

KW - brown carbon

KW - haze pollution

KW - meteorological feedback

KW - radiation effect

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015151380

U2 - 10.1029/2025GL118037

DO - 10.1029/2025GL118037

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:105015151380

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 52

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 17

M1 - e2025GL118037

ER -

Notable Radiative Effects of Brown Carbon in China Haze

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this