Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2653-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-2653-2018
Research article
 | 
23 Feb 2018
Research article |  | 23 Feb 2018

Size distribution and coating thickness of black carbon from the Canadian oil sands operations

Yuan Cheng, Shao-Meng Li, Mark Gordon, and Peter Liu

Related authors

Measurement report: Diurnal variations of brown carbon during two distinct seasons in a megacity in northeast China
Yuan Cheng, Xu-bing Cao, Jiu-meng Liu, Ying-jie Zhong, Qin-qin Yu, Qiang Zhang, and Ke-bin He
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6241–6253, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6241-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6241-2023, 2023
Short summary
Comprehensive characterization of particulate intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) from heavy-duty diesel vehicles using two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Xiao He, Xuan Zheng, Shaojun Zhang, Xuan Wang, Ting Chen, Xiao Zhang, Guanghan Huang, Yihuan Cao, Liqiang He, Xubing Cao, Yuan Cheng, Shuxiao Wang, and Ye Wu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 13935–13947, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13935-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-13935-2022, 2022
Short summary
Dramatic changes in Harbin aerosol during 2018–2020: the roles of open burning policy and secondary aerosol formation
Yuan Cheng, Qin-qin Yu, Jiu-meng Liu, Xu-bing Cao, Ying-jie Zhong, Zhen-yu Du, Lin-lin Liang, Guan-nan Geng, Wan-li Ma, Hong Qi, Qiang Zhang, and Ke-bin He
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15199–15211, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15199-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15199-2021, 2021
Short summary
Quantifying variability, source, and transport of CO in the urban areas over the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau
Youwen Sun, Hao Yin​​​​​​​, Yuan Cheng, Qianggong Zhang, Bo Zheng, Justus Notholt, Xiao Lu, Cheng Liu, Yuan Tian, and Jianguo Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9201–9222, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9201-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9201-2021, 2021
Short summary
Mapping the drivers of formaldehyde (HCHO) variability from 2015 to 2019 over eastern China: insights from Fourier transform infrared observation and GEOS-Chem model simulation
Youwen Sun, Hao Yin, Cheng Liu, Lin Zhang, Yuan Cheng, Mathias Palm, Justus Notholt, Xiao Lu, Corinne Vigouroux, Bo Zheng, Wei Wang, Nicholas Jones, Changong Shan, Min Qin, Yuan Tian, Qihou Hu, Fanhao Meng, and Jianguo Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 6365–6387, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6365-2021,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6365-2021, 2021
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Aerosols | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
Physicochemical characterization and source apportionment of Arctic ice-nucleating particles observed in Ny-Ålesund in autumn 2019
Guangyu Li, Elise K. Wilbourn, Zezhen Cheng, Jörg Wieder, Allison Fagerson, Jan Henneberger, Ghislain Motos, Rita Traversi, Sarah D. Brooks, Mauro Mazzola, Swarup China, Athanasios Nenes, Ulrike Lohmann, Naruki Hiranuma, and Zamin A. Kanji
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10489–10516, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10489-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10489-2023, 2023
Short summary
Cyclones enhance the transport of sea spray aerosols to the high atmosphere in the Southern Ocean
Jun Shi, Jinpei Yan, Shanshan Wang, Shuhui Zhao, Miming Zhang, Suqing Xu, Qi Lin, Hang Yang, and Siying Dai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10349–10359, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10349-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10349-2023, 2023
Short summary
Impact of 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns on particulate air pollution across Europe
Jean-Philippe Putaud, Enrico Pisoni, Alexander Mangold, Christoph Hueglin, Jean Sciare, Michael Pikridas, Chrysanthos Savvides, Jakub Ondracek, Saliou Mbengue, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Laurent Poulain, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Andreas Massling, Claus Nordstroem, Andrés Alastuey, Cristina Reche, Noemí Pérez, Sonia Castillo, Mar Sorribas, Jose Antonio Adame, Tuukka Petaja, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Jarkko Niemi, Véronique Riffault, Joel F. de Brito, Augustin Colette, Olivier Favez, Jean-Eudes Petit, Valérie Gros, Maria I. Gini, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Evangelia Diapouli, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Karl Espen Yttri, and Wenche Aas
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10145–10161, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023, 2023
Short summary
New particle formation in the tropical free troposphere during CAMP2Ex: statistics and impact of emission sources, convective activity, and synoptic conditions
Qian Xiao, Jiaoshi Zhang, Yang Wang, Luke D. Ziemba, Ewan Crosbie, Edward L. Winstead, Claire E. Robinson, Joshua P. DiGangi, Glenn S. Diskin, Jeffrey S. Reid, K. Sebastian Schmidt, Armin Sorooshian, Miguel Ricardo A. Hilario, Sarah Woods, Paul Lawson, Snorre A. Stamnes, and Jian Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9853–9871, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9853-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9853-2023, 2023
Short summary
Explaining apparent particle shrinkage related to new particle formation events in western Saudi Arabia does not require evaporation
Simo Hakala, Ville Vakkari, Heikki Lihavainen, Antti-Pekka Hyvärinen, Kimmo Neitola, Jenni Kontkanen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Tareq Hussein, Mamdouh I. Khoder, Mansour A. Alghamdi, and Pauli Paasonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9287–9321, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9287-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9287-2023, 2023
Short summary

Cited articles

Alberta Energy: Oil Sands Production Profile: 2004–2014, available at: https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/cd892173-c37f-4c68-bf5d-f79ef7d49e72/resource/ebd6b451-dfda-4218-b855-1416d94306fd/download/InitiativeOSPP.pdf (last access: 15 February 2018), 2016. 
Alberta Energy: Oil Sands Facts and Statistics, available at: http://www.energy.alberta.ca/OS/AOS/Pages/FAS.aspx (last access: 15 February 2018), 2017. 
Andreae, M. O. and Gelencsér, A.: Black carbon or brown carbon? The nature of light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 3131–3148, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-3131-2006, 2006. 
Baumgardner, D., Kok, G., and Raga, G.: Warming of the Arctic lower stratosphere by light absorbing particles, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L06117, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL018883, 2004. 
Bond, T. C. and Bergstrom, R. W.: Light absorption by carbonaceous particles: an investigative review, Aerosol Sci. Tech., 40, 27–67, 2006. 
Download
Short summary
An aircraft campaign was conducted over the Athabasca oil sands (OS) region to characterize refractory black carbon (rBC) particles as they were emitted from the sources and as they were transported downwind; rBC size distributions were consistent at different downwind distances from the source area whereas coating thicknesses on the rBC cores increased considerably as the OS plumes were transported downwind. These results provide insights into the evolution of BC aerosol in the real atmosphere.
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint