Aerosol processing through clouds: Results from the European project GCE
- C.N.R., Bologna (Italy)
The atmospheric aerosols affect climate both in a direct and an indirect way, serving as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). The climate forcing of atmospheric aerosol is opposite in sign to forcing by greenhouse gases. Human activity has changed significantly the global aerosol burden, but also the physical and chemical nature of atmospheric aerosol. Changing chemical properties of the atmospheric aerosol can affect cloud albedo, cloud life-time, and the precipitation regimes. In fact, the ability of aerosol particles to act as CCN depends both on size distribution and on chemical properties of the aerosol population. The fraction of soluble mass in an aerosol particle is a key parameter in determining its hygroscopic behavior and thus its ability to serve as CCN. There are evidences that a relevant fraction of the inactive material is formed by particulate organic compounds. Significant modifications have been shown to occur in an aerosol population passing through a cloud. In particular, sulfate formation due to in-cloud sulphur dioxide oxidation modified the fraction of soluble material carried by the particles which are released in the atmosphere upon cloud evaporation, thus increasing their growth ability for a new cloud cycle.
- OSTI ID:
- 470970
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960420-; ISBN 0-884736-02-5; TRN: IM9722%%93
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 7. global warming international conference and exposition, Vienna (Austria), 1-3 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of The 7. global warming international conference and expo: Abstracts; PB: 154 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Chemical aging of single and multicomponent biomass burning aerosol surrogate-particles by OH: Implications for cloud condensation nucleus activity
Chemical aging of single and multicomponent biomass burning aerosol surrogate particles by OH: implications for cloud condensation nucleus activity