AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Editors' Highlight

Soot emission from commercial shipping

Produced during combustion of fossil fuels and biofuels, light-absorbing carbon (soot) creates haze and absorbs light with an efficiency nearly one third that of carbon dioxide. This is particularly hazardous for places such as the Arctic, where the presence of soot can drastically increase the amount of light absorbed by snow and ice surfaces. To learn more about sources of soot, Lack et al. (2008) studied emissions from commercial shipping, which is expected to increase by 2–6% each year. Using data taken from a survey in the Gulf of Mexico, the authors found that the highest soot emitters (per unit fuel combusted) were tugboats. Their study revealed as well that emissions of soot from cargo and noncargo vessels were double the most recent estimates and also independent of engine load. In total, the authors found that soot emitted by the shipping industry contributes to about 2% of the total soot present in the atmosphere. Though relatively small, this 2% can increase soot burdens in coastal areas close to ports by nearly 40%, thus making significant contributions to local air quality.

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