Aerosol black carbon in the European Arctic: Measurements at Zeppelin station, Ny‐Ålesund, Svalbard from 1998–2007

Abstract

An aerosol black carbon (BC) data set from ongoing measurements at Zeppelin station (474 m asl), near Ny‐Ålesund (10 m asl), Svalbard is reported for the period 1998–2007. Annual average and median BC concentrations were 39 and 27 ng m −3 , respectively, while monthly averages ranged from a maximum ∼80 ng m −3 in February/March to a minimum 0–10 ng m −3 from June to September. BC concentrations were calibrated by elemental carbon thermo‐optical analysis. PSCF trajectory analysis indicated that BC concentrations at Zeppelin were mainly influenced by source regions in northern and central Russia. Since 2001, a small decreasing trend in BC concentration (−9.5 ng m −3 per decade) for the period to 2007 has been observed which is, however, similar to the detection limit.