Anthropogenic aerosol particle

The indirect climatic impact of aerosol at the ABL is determined by numerous interactions between aerosol and the dynamics of the microphysical and optical properties of clouds. The input to the atmosphere of anthropogenic aerosol particles functioning as CCN favors an increase in cloud droplet number density. As mentioned above, the related increase in the optical thickness and albedo of clouds, with their constant water content, was called the first indirect effect , which characterizes the climatic impact of aerosol. 

In the following two case studies where the model was used to quantify the impact of natural and anthropogenic aerosol particles on the regional weather will be explained. 

Aerosol spray cans were invented in 1929, and perfection of a reliable valve and development of disposable cans took place in the 1940s. Shortly thereafter, aerosol became a household word. Like many other modem conveniences, however, the aerosol spray can has drawbacks as well as advantages. Because the particles in an aerosol are extremely tiny, they are quite mobile. They last for a long time in the atmosphere and can affect the climate, as already described. They can penetrate deep into our lungs and cause adverse health effects. Thus, anthropogenic aerosols have both global and local side effects. Despite increasing scientific studies, these effects are not yet fttlly understood. 

As a rule, simulations consider emissions of heavy metals from anthropogenic and natural sources, transport in the atmosphere and deposition to the underlying surface (Figure 6). It is assumed that lead and cadmium are transported in the atmosphere only as a part of aerosol particles. Besides, chemical transformations of these metals do not change removal properties of their particles-carriers. On the contrary, mercury enters the atmosphere in different physical and chemical forms and undergoes numerous transformations during its pathway in the atmosphere (Ilyn et al., 2002 2004 Ilyin and Travnikov, 2003). 

The following sections focus on the potential indirect effects of aerosol particles due to anthropogenic contributions, which, unlike the natural emissions, are expected to provide a contribution that changes with time. 

An increase in aerosol particles that can act as CCN can increase the number of cloud droplets and their size distribution, both of which can affect the light scattering properties of clouds and hence climate. We first briefly discuss the effects of clouds on climate and then the potential impacts of anthropogenic aerosols on the formation and properties of clouds. 

The first major link between the indirect effects of aerosol particles and climate is whether there has been an increase in particles and in CCN due to anthropogenic activities. As discussed in Chapter 2, anthropogenic emissions of particles and of gas-phase precursors to particles such as S02 have clearly increased since preindustrial times, and it is reasonable that CCN have also increased. Ice core data provide a record of some of the species that can act as CCN. Not surprisingly, sulfate and nitrate in the ice cores have increased substantially over the past century (Mayewski et al., 1986, 1990 Laj et al., 1992 Fischer et al., 1998). For example, Figure 14.43 shows the increases in sulfate and nitrate since preindustrial times in an ice core in central Greenland (Laj et al., 1992). Sulfate has increased by 300% and nitrate by 200%. This suggests that sulfate and nitrate CCN also increased, although not necessarily in direct proportion to the concentrations in the ice core measurements. 

As discussed in Section C.la, sea salt particles in the marine boundary layer have been shown to likely play a major role in backscattering of solar radiation (Murphy et al., 1998), i.e., to the direct effect of aerosol particles. However, they also contribute to the indirect effect involving cloud formation, since they can also act as CCN. Since such particles are a natural component of the marine atmosphere, their contribution will not play a role in climate change, unless their concentration were somehow to be changed by anthropogenic activities, e.g., through changes in wind speed over the... 

On the other hand, aerosol particles from anthropogenic activities tend to be concentrated over or near industrial regions in the continents. Because both the direct and indirect effects of particles are predominantly in terms of scattering solar radiation, their effects are expected primarily during the day. 

In short, while net radiative forcing is a convenient means for examining the potential importance of various anthropogenic perturbations for climate, it cannot be used in an additive manner for gases and aerosol particles to predict the ultimate impacts. 

Van Dingenen, R., F. Raes, and N. R. Jensen, Evidence for Anthropogenic Impact on Number Concentration and Sulfate Content of Cloud-Processed Aerosol Particles over the North Atlantic, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 21057-21067 (1995). 

However, not every aerosol particle serves as CCN. Accumulation mode aerosols provide the nuclei for most cloud drops (Penner et al., 2001). As in the case of anthropogenic and natural sulphate particles, OAs can also serve as CCN (Ramanathan et al., 2001). Additionally, the presence of water-soluble organic compounds in the particles and the presence of soluble gases (HN03) in the atmosphere can amplify the CCN activity of the aerosols and further increase the concentration of cloud droplets and the indirect forcing (Charlson et al., 2001). Also, biomass... 

Atmospheric aerosol particles modify the radiative transfer in the atmosphere and they have an impact on the cloud formation. Therefore, they alter the weather and they have an impact on climate. The anthropogenic part of this modification of the state of the atmosphere is currently not well understood and it raises the largest uncertainties with respect to climate change (see the IPCC report 2007). We developed a new on-line model system to investigate the aerosol-radiation-interaction on the regional scale. 

Aerosols sea salt, dust, primary and secondary particles of anthropogenic and natural origin. Some aerosol particle components warm up and others cool down the air. 

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