Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tropospheric Aerosols
Tropospheric Aerosols
Devang.S
MSc. Previous
M.S.University
Global warming induced by greenhouse
gases gets most of the press coverage, but
it is not the only climate change issue our
planet is dealing with. Emissions of tiny
particles, called aerosols, into our
atmosphere are disrupting our climate as
well.
Let’s take look at
What are aerosols ?
Aerosols are
Jaenicke, 1980
seconds
8
10
10 7
Tropopause Middle
6
Troposphere
10
10
5
1Day
4
10
Below1.5km
1000
100
10
0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100 1000
Radius, micrometer
Means
Atmospheric Aerosol are
The ensemble of all liquid/solid systems
suspended in the atmosphere, except
water/ ice clouds.
Water and Ice clouds are conventionally
excluded because of their tight involvement
with the hydrological cycle, short lifetimes
and involvement in long- range latent
energy transport.
Aerosols :
Sources and Types
Natural Source
- Continental/ Desert Aerosols
- Marine Aerosols
- Volcanic Aerosols
- Organic Forest Hazes
Human Source
- Industrial Aerosols
- Smoke/Biomass Burning Aerosols
Sources
Activation
H2SO4, HNO3,
Organic aerosol Resuspension
ti on
Oxidation
da
O xi
Forest Fires
Hydrocarbons,
NOx, SO2, NH3, POA
Terpenes
Soot
Dust Sea-salt
Continental/ Desert Aerosols
Large wind storms over deserts and other arid regions can
lift dust particles high into the atmsophere, allowing them
to drift downwind hundreds of kilometers from their source
Marine Aerosols
Sea spray accounts for the second most common natural source of
aerosols in the form of various types of salts.
Volcanic Aerosols
Large volcanic eruptions spew vast clouds of fine ash particles
into the air, sometimes reaching the stratosphere. Ash from
. very large eruptions can stay aloft for months to a few years,
and can spread around the globe
Organic Forest Hazes
Likewise, land-based vegetation emits gases, such as
volatile organic compounds (VOSs), that contribute to
secondary emissions of aerosols.
Industrial Aerosols
Anthropogenic (human produced) aerosols make up about 10
percent of the amount of aerosols in our atmosphere. Tiny particles of
black carbon, or soot, are a major component of smoke produced
by many kinds of burning. Coal-burning power plants generate lots
of black carbon and often loft it high into the atmosphere as emissions
from tall smokestacks. Internal combustion engines in cars, trucks, and
construction vehicles also emit plenty of black carbon. Diesel engines
are especially prolific producers of this type of aerosol. Humans
activities also increase the amount of mineral dust aerosol
generation
Smoke/Biomass Burning Aerosols
Concept of
Emission of Aerosols
Primary emission- Secondary emission –
Are aerosols sources that refers to substances that are not aerosols when
directly project aerosols In the they are originally emitted, but later undergo
air some reaction in the atmosphere that transforms
them into aerosols
e.g. Dust, volcanic ash e.g.sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas is
and Black CO2 emitted by volcanoes, forest fires,
coal-burning power plants, refuse
incineration, and other sources. In
the atmosphere, chemical reactions
and combination with water can
transform sulfur dioxide into sulfuric
acid droplets, a liquid aerosol that
helps form acid rain
Roles of Aerosols in Earth’s
atmosphere?
The presence of aerosols in Earth's
atmosphere influences climate in
three key ways.
1. Aerosols alter albedo (reflectivity).
2. Formation of clouds of various types.
3. Various types of chemical reactions
in the atmosphere.
To know Roles of Aerosols in Earth’s
atmosphere we should know
Role 1: Aerosols alter albedo (reflectivity)
clouds Aerosol
particle
CCN that
activates
& aerosols
that does not into a cloud
activate drop
In general, aerosol
particles provide
this "disturbance".
Formation of clouds (animation)
3. Chemical reactions
in the atmosphere
2.“heterogeneous chemistry”
To stratospheric
ozone destruction.
AEROSOL-CLIMATE CONNECTION
“global dimming” &
role of aerosols
Global dimming is
the gradual reduction
in the amount of
global direct
irradiance (radiant
emittance, and radiant
exitance ) at the Earth
's surface
Effect of“global dimming”
over India
AVHRR
MISR AERONET
Very fine aerosols from the World
Trade Center.
References: