The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Assessment Report 6 (AR6), stated that the recent climate change is “widespread, rapid, intensifying and unprecedented in thousands of years.” It is further noted: “Climate change is already affecting every region on Earth in multiple ways. The changes we experience will increase with …
Limitations in current capabilities to constrain aerosols adversely impact atmospheric simulations. Typically, aerosol burdens within models are constrained employing satellite aerosol optical properties, which are not available under cloudy conditions. Here we set the first steps to overcome the long-standing limitation that aerosols cannot be constrained using satellite remote sensing …
Atmospheric models generally assume that aerosol particles are in equilibrium with the surrounding gas phase. However, recent observations that secondary organic aerosols can exist in a glassy state have highlighted the need to more fully understand the kinetic limitations that may control water partitioning in ambient particles. Here, we explore …
Black carbon (BC) emissions from China are of global concern. A new BC emission inventory (PKU-BC(China)) has been developed with the following improvements: (1) The emission factor database was updated; (2) a 0.1° × 0.1° gridded map was produced for 2007 based on county-level proxies; (3) time trends were derived …
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous atmospheric constituents of both anthropogenic and natural origin. VOCs are important precursors of tropospheric ozone (O3), and can impact air quality and global climate. Most of primary VOCs and their oxidized products makeup a major fraction of secondary pollutants in urbanized regions. Due to …
One idea for fighting global warming is to increase the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere, scattering incoming solar energy away from Earth's surface. But scientists theorize that this solar geoengineering could have a side effect of whitening the sky during the day. New research from Carnegie's Ben Kravitz and …
Investigations of aerosol optical and physical characteristics using the application of Ångström formula and second order polynomial fit were carried out from April 2006 to March 2009 at Mohal in the Kullu valley. The measurements of spectral aerosol optical depths (AODs) were conducted using multiwavelength radiometer (MWR). The AOD at …
This report by USEPA identifies and evaluates the low cost and high-impact opportunities to reduce black carbon emissions in South Asia in the industrial, transportation and residential sectors. US EPA conducted a study to identify and evaluate low cost and high-impact opportunities to reduce black carbon emissions in South Asia. …
The primary drivers of the Northern Hemisphere expansion of the tropical climate zone over the past several decades are shown to be the recent increases in black carbon aerosols and tropospheric ozone rather than in greenhouse gases, which contribute to a lesser extent.
British scientists have abandoned an experiment to test the possibility of spraying particles into the upper atmosphere to stem global warming, largely due to concerns over a patent for some of the technology, the project's leader said. Scientists and engineers from the universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford are behind …
Time series analysis of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) derived from NOAA-AVHRR data during the period 1996–1999 and the MODIS data during 2000–2009 over the Arabian Sea revealed a systematic biennial variability in the high AOD during summer months. The variability is more prominent over the northern and central parts of …
In the present study a monitoring work is under taken to estimate the black carbon aerosol of 4 different cities representing 4 different zones of Odisha state. The monitoring was carried out from December 2008 to November 2009 to study the role of aerosol contamination in different atmospheric condition.
Air pollution has long been a problem in the industrial nations of the West. It has now become an increasing source of environmental degradation in the developing nations of east Asia. China in particular, because of its rapid push to industrialize, is experiencing dramatic levels of aerosol pollution over a …
Aims to slow down global temperature rise by 0.5°C. The United States will lead a global campaign to reduce short-lived pollutants that aggravate global warming. In an announcement made on February 16, secretary of state Hillary Clinton announced the formation of a new coalition called Climate and Clean Air Coalition …
Tropospheric ozone and black carbon (BC) contribute to both degraded air quality and global warming. We considered ~400 emission control measures to reduce these pollutants by using current technology and experience. We identified 14 measures targeting methane and BC emissions that reduce projected global mean warming ~0.5°C by 2050. This …
Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative (SRMGI) has brought together diverse opinions and expertise from multidisciplinary fields, environmental and development NGOs, industry and civil society organizations from around the globe on the topic of solar radiation management governance. The report, Solar radiation management: the governance of research, summarizes the opinions gathered …
Ground-based measurements of aerosol black carbon (BC), from a high altitude location at Nainital in the central Himalayas (during June 2006 to May 2007), were used to study its temporal variability and impact on the atmospheric radiative forcing. Diurnal variation of BC mass concentration shows single enhanced peak in the …
