Contribution of Arctic seabird-colony ammonia to atmospheric particles and cloud-albedo radiative effect

B. Croft; G. R. Wentworth; R. V. Martin; W. R. Leaitch; J. G. Murphy; B. N. Murphy; J. K. Kodros; J. P. D. Abbatt; J. R. Pierce

doi:10.1038/ncomms13444

Nature Communications (Nov 2016)

Contribution of Arctic seabird-colony ammonia to atmospheric particles and cloud-albedo radiative effect

B. Croft,
G. R. Wentworth,
R. V. Martin,
W. R. Leaitch,
J. G. Murphy,
B. N. Murphy,
J. K. Kodros,
J. P. D. Abbatt,
J. R. Pierce

Affiliations

B. Croft: Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University
G. R. Wentworth: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
R. V. Martin: Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University
W. R. Leaitch: Climate Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada
J. G. Murphy: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
B. N. Murphy: Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES) and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University
J. K. Kodros: Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University
J. P. D. Abbatt: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
J. R. Pierce: Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13444
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

Read online

The climatic impact of ammonia emissions from Arctic seabird-colony guano is poorly understood. Here, using observations and a chemical transport model, Croftet al. illustrate that guano-associated particles promote cloud-droplet formation, resulting in a pan-Arctic cooling tendency of approximately −0.5 W m−2.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

About the journal