Nucleation, biogenic aerosols

Aerosols, including those of biogenic origin, have important impacts on atmospheric radiation, both directly, and indirectly through the nucleation of atmospheric water. The impact of biogenic aerosols on radiation through direct and indirect effects depends on their physical and chemical properties. Table 5 shows the main chemical and physical properties of aerosols that influence their interaction with radiation, and with other atmospheric compounds, resulting in the formation of secondary particles, as well as their influence on cloud formation. Chemical... 

In addition to the important role biogenic terpenes play in gas-hase chemistry, their impact also extends to heterogeneous air chemistry. Although Went (1960) linked the formation of the blue haze over coniferous forests to the biogenic emission of 20 monoterpenes over 40 years ago, it was not until recently that terpenes received their due attention with respect to their role in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. O Dowd et al. (2002) reported that nucleation events over a boreal forest were driven by the condensation of terpene oxidation products. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a high-yield product of isoprene oxidation. The short photochemical lifetime of HCHO allows the observation of this trace gas to help constrain isoprene emissions (Shim et al. 2005). 

The terrestrial component of the dust particles embedded in the ice consists of volcanic ash, finegrained dust derived from soil on the continents, carbon particles released by forest fires, biogenic particles (e.g., the skeletons of diatoms, seeds, and pollen grains), aerosol particles of atmospheric origin, including sea-spray particles that nucleate snow flakes (Section 17.10). In addition, the uppermost layer of snow and fim that was deposited after the start of the Industrial Revolution (i.e., post ad 1850) contains anthropogenic detritus such as flakes of metal, paint, and plastics, fly-ash particles and other combustion products, fibers (composed of wood, cotton, and synthetics), industrial contaminants (e.g., lead), and radioactive nuchdes released by the testing of nuclear weapons and by the operation of nuclear reactors (Faure et al. 1997). 

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