NASA Studies Sooty Carbon in Global Warming
Climate Research Tests Effects of "Soot" in Climate Change
Apr 26, 2009
Much research has been done on the subject of world climate change, especially in the light of the thinning of the ozone layer and climate disturbances that have manifested in recent years. In the 1990s studies focused on CFCs, gases used as propellants in aerosol cans, and these have since been banned. Other studies focused on the effects of carbon dioxide, a so-called "greenhouse gas".
However new research suggests that different aerosols are affecting different parts of the globe. Climate scientist Drew Shindell of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York has used a "coupled ocean-atmosphere model" to investigate how different regional climates react to changes in levels of carbon dioxide, ozone, and aerosols.
Defining Aerosols
Firstly it is important to define the word "aerosol". NASA defines them as "The tiny airborne particles (that) enter the atmosphere from sources such as industrial pollution, volcanoes and residential cooking stoves." They assert that such emissions have increased greatly as Asian countries have become large contributors to worldwide industrialization.
The recent study focused on two main sources of aerosol particles.
- Sulfates from burning coal and oil create small airborne particles that scatter incoming solar radiation have a cooling effect.
- This, however, is more than offset by black carbon particles produced by the combustion of diesel and biofuels, which tend to have a warming effect on the earth's atmosphere.
Their complex model used in studying many climate-influencing variables and scenarios to investigate their possible outcomes threw up some interesting conclusions.
Conclusions of the Aerosol Research
The parts of the world that were the most affected by aerosols in the model correlated with regions that have experienced the greatest increase in temperature since 1976. "The Arctic region has seen its surface air temperatures increase by 1.5 C (2.7 F) since the mid-1970s. In the Antarctic, where aerosols play less of a role, the surface air temperature has increased about 0.35 C (0.6 F)."
In other words, proximity to the industrialized areas of North America and Europe has caused bigger temperature changes in the Arctic compared to the more isolated Antarctic region. Drew Shindell's advice is that the world needs to focus not on CO2 emissions alone, but also on the emissions of aerosols and ozone.
Glory Satellite to Provide Information on Aerosols
NASA’s upcoming Glory satellite probe is designed to enhance our current aerosol measurement capabilities. This will help scientists to continue investigating the effects of aerosols on global warming.
To read the full discussion, please follow this link to the NASA web site.
References
NASA Web Site, Aerosols May Significantly Affect Global Warming, Nasa, 08.04.09
 |
