Aerosol, Cloud, and Climate: From Observation to Model (457th Brookhaven Lecture)
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Environmental Sciences Dept.
In the last 100 years, the Earth has warmed by about 1°F, glaciers and sea ice have been melting more quickly than previously, especially during the past decade, and the level of the sea has risen about 6-8 inches worldwide. Scientists have long been investigating this phenomenon of “global warming,” which is believed to be at least partly due to the increased carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the air from burning fossil fuels. Funded by DOE, teams of researchers from BNL and other national labs have been gathering data in the U.S. and internationally to build computer models of climate and weather to help in understanding general patterns, causes, and perhaps, solutions. Among many findings, researchers observed that atmospheric aerosols, minute particles in the atmosphere, can significantly affect global energy balance and climate. Directly, aerosols scatter and absorb sunlight. Indirectly, increased aerosol concentration can lead to smaller cloud droplets, changing clouds in ways that tend to cool global climate and potentially mask overall warming from man-made CO2.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 1004901
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-83232-2010-CP; TRN: US201118%%2
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Brookhaven Lecture Series: 1960 - Present, Upton, NY (United States), 12 May 2010
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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