Quantifying and minimizing uncertainty of climate forcing by anthropogenic aerosols

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6659239

Penner, J E ^[1]; Charlson, R J ^[2]; Hales, J M ^[3]; Laulainen, N ^[4]; Leifer, R ^[5]; Novakov, T ^[6]; Ogren,

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
2. Washington Univ., Seattle, WA (United States)
3. Envair, Richland, WA (United States)
4. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
5. USDOE Environmental Measurements Lab., New York, NY (United States)
6. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

The clear-sky climate forcing by anthropogenic aerosols has been shown to be of sufficient magnitude to mask the effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gases over large regions. Anthropogenic aerosols are composed of a variety of aerosol types including water-soluble inorganic species (e.g., sulfate, nitrate, ammonium), organic condensed species, elemental or black carbon, and mineral dust. Estimates of the clear-sky forcing by anthropogenic sulfate aerosols and by organic biomass-burning aerosols have been published previously. Here we estimate the uncertainty in the forcing by these aerosol types. Estimates of the clear-sky forcing by other anthropogenic aerosol types do not even exist though the forcing by these aerosol types is thought to be smaller than that by sulfate and biomass burning aerosols.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6659239
• Report Number(s): DOE/NBB-0092T; ON: DE93009820
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AEROSOLS
CLIMATE MODELS
CLOUDS
COLLOIDS
CONDENSATION NUCLEI
DISPERSIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GREENHOUSE GASES
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MINIMIZATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS