 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Calculate and offset your CO2 emissions simply and efficiently! Click on one of the icons above! | ||
 |
||
Aerosols
Aerosols are tiny, liquid or solid particles suspended in the air. They influence the climate through their direct effect on radiation (solar radiation and heat radiated by the Earth) as well as indirectly through their key role in cloud formation (they function as condensation seeds for droplet formation).
- Large quantities of desert dust are blown from the Sahara across the Atlantic ocean (ESA, 2003).
Aerosols have natural (e.g. sea salt, desert dust, volcanic eruptions) and anthropogenic sources (e.g. burning of fossil fuels, road dust). The properties of various aerosols differ, with some having a heating, and others having a cooling effect. Overall, man-made aerosols (especially soot, nitrate, dust, sulphate and organic carbon) generate a cooling effect which slightly reduces the greenhouse effect. The exact direct and indirect effects of aerosols are still comparatively uncertain.
Print
