The role of atmospheric chemistry in climate change

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6943298

Wuebbles, D J; Grant, K E; Connell, P S ^[1]

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1. California Univ., Livermore, CA (USA)

Surface emissions and concentrations of globally important trace gases are increasing. Climate models indicate significant temperature increases could occur in the next century due to increasing CO{sub 2} concentrations. However, the combined direct radiative effects from other trace gases could be as large as those estimated for CO{sub 2}. Many of these gases also have indirect effects on climate through their chemical interactions with other radiatively important atmospheric constituents. For example, within the troposphere, emissions of CH{sub 4}, CO, and NO{sub x} may increase concentrations of ozone, an important radiatively active gas. These emissions may also effect concentrations of hydroxyl (OH), which, while not radiatively important, has an important impact on tropospheric chemistry and on the concentrations of long-lived gases reaching the stratosphere. In the stratosphere, dissociation of CH{sub 4}, N{sub 2}O, and the CFCs can lead to changes in the ozone distribution. Oxidation of increasing CH{sub 4} concentrations would increase stratospheric concentrations of radiatively important water vapor. Climate change can, on the other hand, alter tropospheric H{sub 2}O concentrations, further affecting chemistry impacts on climate. In this paper.

• OSTI ID: 6943298
• Report Number(s): CONF-880679--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ALKANES
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMISTRY
CLIMATE MODELS
CLIMATES
CONTROL
DISTURBANCES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
FLUIDS
GASES
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXYL RADICALS
KINETICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METHANE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
POLLUTION CONTROL
RADICALS
REACTION KINETICS
STRATOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
VAPORS
WATER VAPOR