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Particles in the atmosphere, known as aerosols, cool the climate by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. The more cloud droplets form around these particles, the less sunlight penetrates a cloud. This cools the climate, although this process is outweighed by the much stronger greenhouse effect. Until now, it has been difficult to provide a reliable global assessment of this impact on the climate and to measure the number of cloud condensation nuclei. Researchers at Leipzig University have now succeeded in doing so using satellite-based remote sensing observations, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Cologne and the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research.
“You have to combine simulations with satellite measurements and use aerosol concentrations near the Earth’s surface. All other methods lead to larger errors,” says Professor Johannes Quaas, Professor of Theoretical Meteorology at Leipzig University, outlining the findings of the study, which has just been published in the journal Science Advances.
To achieve this, the researchers exploited the difference between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, as the continents are distributed unevenly: there is far more land in the Northern Hemisphere, which also has a much higher concentration of industrial activity. Air pollution likewise differs substantially between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. From this, conclusions can be drawn about the role of air pollution in cloud formation, Quaas explains. These new findings make it possible to produce more accurate projections of how much the climate will warm in the coming decades.
“Overall, we estimate that the effect of aerosols on clouds has offset around a quarter of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect,” says the meteorologist. However, this cooling diminishes as air quality improves, because aerosols are short-lived. They are washed out of the atmosphere after about a week, whereas carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for many centuries.
According to Quaas, Leipzig is an important centre for research into these processes, particularly through collaboration between Leipzig University and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research. “We investigate these questions using a wide range of methods, from laboratory measurements to global climate modelling,” he says. The latest study, which began in 2022, was based on satellite observations from the US space agency NASA and the Dutch research institute SRON, as well as on climate simulations.
“There are still many uncertainties when it comes to aerosols and clouds,” emphasises Professor Quaas. In the EU-funded research project CleanCloud, the researchers now aim to explore a range of questions, including how thunderstorms may change as air quality continues to improve and clouds become cleaner.
Prof. Dr. Johannes Quaas
Leipzig University
Phone: +49 341 97-32852
Email: johannes.quaas@uni-leipzig.de
http://www.uni-leipzig.de/~meteo/de
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aea4828
The study by Jia et al. also shows that new satellite measurements – such as those from the Plankton ...
Quelle: NASA GSFC
Copyright: NASA GSFC
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Geowissenschaften, Meer / Klima, Umwelt / Ökologie
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Forschungsergebnisse, Wissenschaftliche Publikationen
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The study by Jia et al. also shows that new satellite measurements – such as those from the Plankton ...
Quelle: NASA GSFC
Copyright: NASA GSFC
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