New Directions: Understanding interactions of air quality and climate change at regional scales

Over the 20th Century, atmospheric composition has changed substantially due to increasing industrialization and urbanization around the globe. The world wide increase in energy consumption has led to an increase in emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants such as NOx, SO2 and aerosols, which is driving climate change. Whereas greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, the levels of air pollutants show regional trends. In the developed countries such as the United States, Canada, and Europe, the implementation of controls (e.g., the Clean Air Act in the USA), has caused a reduction in air pollution since the 1980s. In the developing countries, emissions are increasing significantly and the increase of South-East Asian aerosol and precursor emissions may very well dominate over reductions largely already achieved in the developed countries. Radiation trends over the past decades have evidenced the major role of aerosols on climate (Philipona et al. 2009; Vautard et al., 2009) and through the “dimming” and “brightening” effects (Wild et al., 2009). In particular, changes in the emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and black carbon will have impacted and continue to impact regional aerosol loading, which, in turn, should have a large impact on the radiative balance.

GALMARINI Stefano;  ALAPATY Kiran;  MATHUR Rohit;  PLEIM Jonathan;  S. TRIVIKRAMA Rao;  RAMASWAMY Venkatachalam;  SCHAPP Martijn;  VAUTARD Robert;  MAKAR Paul;  BAKLANOV A.;  KALLOS G.;  VOGEL B.;  HOGREFE Christian;  SOKHI R.; 

2012-03-07

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

JRC66591

1352-2310,   

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231011012684,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC66591,   

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.12.016,