Born to Modulate: Researchers Reveal Origins of Climate-Controlling Particles
Born to Modulate: Researchers Reveal Origins of Cl | Newswise Newswise
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Aerosol Particles and Their Impact on Climate
Aerosol particles are tiny and have a significant influence on our environment. They play a role in determining the color of sunsets, contribute to over three million premature deaths annually, and have a massive impact on our climate.
Understanding Aerosol Formation
Despite their importance, aerosols have remained a mystery to climate scientists. Questions about how new aerosol particles are formed and under what conditions have plagued researchers for years, leading to uncertainty in climate models.
In a recent study conducted by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, significant progress has been made in understanding the formation of new aerosol particles. By incorporating molecular-level interactions into an Earth system model, the researchers achieved three major milestones under the project named EAGLES (Enabling Aerosol-cloud interactions at GLobal convection-permitting scalES).
- Integration of 11 new pathways for aerosol particle formation into a global climate model.
- Identification of the locations where these pathways occur around the world.
- Assessment of the potential impacts of these pathways on Earth’s climate.
This groundbreaking research, published in Nature, is the result of a collaborative effort across multiple institutions.
Particle Hotspots
Aerosol particles can be formed in various ways. Some are primary aerosols, such as dust from deserts or ash from volcanoes, which are directly released into the atmosphere. However, the EAGLES team focused on particles that are formed in the sky through the interaction of gases in the atmosphere.
These new particles are not formed everywhere; there are specific hotspots. The majority of particle formation occurs above forests, particularly in the rainforests of the Central Amazon and Southeast Asia. These regions provide the ideal conditions for chemical reactions that lead to the creation of new particles.
Climate models have struggled to accurately estimate the abundance and distribution of these particles. However, by incorporating the new pathways identified by the EAGLES team into the Earth system model E3SM, the model was able to simulate the particle peaks observed in real-world measurements. The revised model also correctly predicted the altitudes at which these particles appear.
The Role of Aerosols in Cloud Formation
Aerosol particles and clouds have a close relationship. Aerosols act as the seeds for cloud formation, with atmospheric moisture condensing on their surfaces. The properties of aerosol particles, such as their chemical composition and size, influence the characteristics of the resulting clouds.
Clouds and aerosols play a significant role in weather and climate. They can affect temperature, precipitation, and the overall structure of the Earth’s atmosphere.
The EAGLES team’s research suggests that new particles may account for approximately half of the world’s cloud seeds. In certain regions, such as the tropical and mid-latitude oceans, locally generated new particles could be responsible for up to 80% of cloud formation material. Over Europe and the Eastern United States, they could account for 65% of cloud seed material.
Implications for Climate Modeling
Understanding the influence of aerosols on Earth’s climate is crucial for accurate climate predictions. As nations work towards reducing emissions to combat global warming, it is essential to improve climate models to reflect the complexity of the Earth system.
The EAGLES team’s research has addressed a major hurdle in climate modeling by providing a better understanding of aerosol particles. By incorporating their findings into Earth system models, scientists can make more confident predictions about the climate response to different scenarios.
Although there is still much to learn about aerosol particles, this research represents a significant step towards a mechanistic understanding of their impact on the environment.
This work was supported by the Department of Energy’s Biological and Environmental Research program and utilized resources from the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center.
Source: newswise.com
