Natural aerosol direct and indirect radiative effects. Issue 12 (19th June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rap, Alexandru; Scott, Catherine E.; Spracklen, Dominick V.; Bellouin, Nicolas; Forster, Piers M.; Carslaw, Kenneth S.; Schmidt, Anja; Mann, Graham
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 40:Issue 12(2013:Jun.)
• Page Start: 3297
• Page End: 3301
• Publication Date: 2013-06-19
• Subjects: Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/grl.50441
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>[1] Natural aerosol plays a significant role in the Earth's system due to its ability to alter the radiative balance of the Earth. Here we use a global aerosol microphysics model together with a radiative transfer model to estimate radiative effects for five natural aerosol sources in the present‐day atmosphere: dimethyl sulfide (DMS), sea‐salt, volcanoes, monoterpenes, and wildfires. We calculate large annual global mean aerosol direct and cloud albedo effects especially for DMS‐derived sulfate (–0.23 Wm^–2 and –0.76 Wm^–2, respectively), volcanic sulfate (–0.21 Wm^–2 and –0.61 Wm^–2) and sea‐salt (–0.44 Wm^–2 and –0.04 Wm^–2). The cloud albedo effect responds nonlinearly to changes in emission source strengths. The natural sources have both markedly different radiative efficiencies and indirect/direct radiative effect ratios. Aerosol sources that contribute a large number of small particles (DMS‐derived and volcanic sulfate) are highly effective at influencing cloud albedo per unit of aerosol mass burden.</p> </abstract>