Aerosols

Aerosols are tiny airborne particles that can be either solids or liquids, with a size range between 0.01 and 10 μm. These particles can be of natural origin, such as dust and sea salt, or of human-made origin, such as smoke and exhaust emissions. The presence of aerosols in the atmosphere can have a significant impact on the Earth’s climate. This impact can occur directly through the scattering and absorption of radiation, which affects the energy balance of the atmosphere, leading to warming or cooling effects. Additionally, aerosols can act as condensation nuclei for cloud formation, altering cloud properties such as their reflectivity and lifetime, which in turn can affect precipitation patterns. Thus, the study of aerosols and their impact on the climate is an important area of research for understanding and mitigating climate change.