According to a study by the University of California at Riverside, which has been based on a set of computer models, the greater amount and variety of aerosols present in the air will increase due to greenhouse gases (GHG) in a dominated world by climate change linked to global warming.
Aerosols are made up of small solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere and have a great impact on air quality . They alter the radioactive balance of the planet, either by scattering or by absorbing sunlight to varying degrees, and thereby contribute to the degradation of the environment. One of the most visible effects is that the skies are more misty, rarefied and unbreathable in some cases.
This new research, published in Nature Climate Change , shows that under greenhouse gas-induced warming, most aerosol species will see a sharp increase, with implications for air quality in the future. Climatologist Robert J. Allen, assistant professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of California at Riverside and lead author of the work, says this includes both natural aerosols, such as dust and sea salt, as well as to anthropogenic aerosols –produced by human activity–, such as sulfates, carbon residues and other organic matter derived from industry, agriculture or livestock.
In his view, stricter policy measures will be needed to reduce aerosol emissions if the desired level of air quality is to be achieved in this century . Allen believes that a rise in greenhouse gases will not only heat the planet more, but affect the climate in many different ways. For example, GHGs will alter the hydrological cycle and atmospheric circulation on a large scale. These changes, in turn, will affect air quality and aerosol distribution, regardless of changes in aerosol emissions: “Changes in the hydrological cycle and atmospheric circulation are complex, but could produce reverse effects. in the distribution of aerosols.
Our predictions show that warming from GHGs will lead to higher global mean precipitation, which should reduce the aerosol load. However, GHG warming will also lead to a decrease in rainfall in some regions, as well as a global average decrease in the frequency of rainfall. These last two processes, which will increase the load of atmospheric aerosols, are quantitatively more important than the first circumstance . The end result will be that there will be more aerosols in the atmosphere “, concludes this expert.
