Definition of black carbon
: a granular form of pure carbon that is the primary component of soot
- But soot—also known as black carbon—from tens of thousands of villages like this one in developing countries is emerging as a major and previously unappreciated source of global climate change.
- —Elisabeth Rosenthal, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2009
- The chief culprit in global warming is carbon dioxide, but recent studies show that black carbon may account for as much as half of Arctic warming.
- —Bill Walker, In Brief, Summer 2009
