Aerosol Science: Technology and Applications

Chapter 8

Atmospheric Aerosols and Climate Impacts

Maria Kanakidou

Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Greece

8.1 Introduction

Atmospheric aerosols are complex ensembles of solid or liquid atmospheric materials of varying chemical composition and size that are associated with variable amounts of water depending on the atmospheric conditions and their hygroscopicity. Aerosols compromise human and ecosystem health, influence visibility and thus human activities, affect ozone and the global radiation budget, modify cloud properties, and lead to feedbacks in the hydrological cycle and climate perturbation, as they interact both with light (in the visible and near-infrared spectrum) and with atmospheric water.

8.2 Global Aerosol Distributions

Aerosol atmospheric concentrations result from emission to, formation in, and removal from the atmosphere, as well as transport and physicochemical transformation. Aerosol sources are both natural and anthropogenic. Anthropogenic sources of aerosols include fossil fuel and biofuel burning for energy production, industrial activities and transportation (ground, maritime, and aviation), dust resuspension from ground transportation, and other human activities. Submicron aerosols can be directly emitted into the atmosphere, mainly by anthropogenic sources (mostly combustion sources). Sources of large uncertainties are the natural aerosols sea salt, dust, marine organic aerosol, plant debris, and ...