Articles | Volume 22, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4827-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4827-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Apr 2022
Research article |
| 12 Apr 2022
| 12 Apr 2022
The optical properties and in-situ observational evidence for the formation of brown carbon in clouds
Ziyong Guo
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Yuxiang Yang
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Xiaodong Hu
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Xiaocong Peng
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Yuzhen Fu
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Wei Sun
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental
Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
Duohong Chen
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Air Quality Monitoring, Guangdong Environmental Monitoring Center, Guangzhou 510308, PR China
Xinhui Bi
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental
Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
Xinming Wang
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental
Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
Ping'an Peng
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR
China
CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640,
PR China
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental
Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
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Cited
11 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Characterizing optical properties of HULIS versus WSOC in cloud water of Eastern China - Insights into secondary formation in cloud processes X. Liu et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108091
- pH dependence of brown-carbon optical properties in cloud water C. Hennigan et al. 10.5194/acp-23-14437-2023
- Mixing state and influence factors controlling diurnal variation of particulate nitrophenol compounds at a suburban area in northern China Z. Guo et al. 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123368
- Enhanced light absorption by ambient brown carbon aerosols in the eastern Himalayas B. Arun et al. 10.1039/D4EA00021H
- Molecular characteristics and compositions affecting light absorption features of cloud water revealed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry Z. Guo et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119565
- Continuous Measurement and Molecular Compositions of Atmospheric Water‐Soluble Brown Carbon in the Nearshore Marine Boundary Layer of Northern China: Secondary Formation and Influencing Factors H. Li et al. 10.1029/2023JD038565
- Seasonal characterization of chemical and optical properties of water-soluble organic aerosol in Beijing B. You et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172508
- Nitrogen‐Containing Functional Groups Dominate the Molecular Absorption of Water‐Soluble Humic‐Like Substances in Air From Nanjing, China Revealed by the Machine Learning Combined FT‐ICR‐MS Technique Y. Hong et al. 10.1029/2023JD039459
- Field comparison of dual- and single-spot Aethalometers: equivalent black carbon, light absorption, Ångström exponent and secondary brown carbon estimations L. Wu et al. 10.5194/amt-17-2917-2024
- Rapid aqueous-phase dark reaction of phenols with nitrosonium ions: Novel mechanism for atmospheric nitrosation and nitration at low pH B. Cai et al. 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae385
- Fog/cloud processing of atmospheric aerosols from a single particle perspective: A review of field observations G. Zhang et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120536
11 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Characterizing optical properties of HULIS versus WSOC in cloud water of Eastern China - Insights into secondary formation in cloud processes X. Liu et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108091
- pH dependence of brown-carbon optical properties in cloud water C. Hennigan et al. 10.5194/acp-23-14437-2023
- Mixing state and influence factors controlling diurnal variation of particulate nitrophenol compounds at a suburban area in northern China Z. Guo et al. 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123368
- Enhanced light absorption by ambient brown carbon aerosols in the eastern Himalayas B. Arun et al. 10.1039/D4EA00021H
- Molecular characteristics and compositions affecting light absorption features of cloud water revealed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry Z. Guo et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119565
- Continuous Measurement and Molecular Compositions of Atmospheric Water‐Soluble Brown Carbon in the Nearshore Marine Boundary Layer of Northern China: Secondary Formation and Influencing Factors H. Li et al. 10.1029/2023JD038565
- Seasonal characterization of chemical and optical properties of water-soluble organic aerosol in Beijing B. You et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172508
- Nitrogen‐Containing Functional Groups Dominate the Molecular Absorption of Water‐Soluble Humic‐Like Substances in Air From Nanjing, China Revealed by the Machine Learning Combined FT‐ICR‐MS Technique Y. Hong et al. 10.1029/2023JD039459
- Field comparison of dual- and single-spot Aethalometers: equivalent black carbon, light absorption, Ångström exponent and secondary brown carbon estimations L. Wu et al. 10.5194/amt-17-2917-2024
- Rapid aqueous-phase dark reaction of phenols with nitrosonium ions: Novel mechanism for atmospheric nitrosation and nitration at low pH B. Cai et al. 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae385
- Fog/cloud processing of atmospheric aerosols from a single particle perspective: A review of field observations G. Zhang et al. 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120536
Latest update: 17 May 2025
Short summary
We show that in-cloud aqueous processing facilitates the formation of brown carbon (BrC), based on the simultaneous measurements of the light-absorption properties of the cloud residuals, cloud interstitial, and cloud-free particles. While extensive laboratory evidence indicated the formation of BrC in aqueous phase, our study represents the first attempt to show the possibility in real clouds, which would have potential implications in the atmospheric evolution and radiation forcing of BrC.
We show that in-cloud aqueous processing facilitates the formation of brown carbon (BrC), based...
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