Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Jan 2007)
Preface to the Special Issue on Climate-Chemistry Interactions: Atmospheric Ozone, Aerosols, and Clouds over East Asia
Abstract
Atmospheric radiatively-important chemical constituents (e.g., O3 and aerosols) are important to maintain the radiation balance of the Earth-atmosphere climate system, and changes in their concentration due to both natural causes and anthropogenic activities will induce climate changes. The distribution of these constituents is sensitive to the state of the climate (e.g., temperature, moisture, wind, and clouds). Therefore, rises in atmospheric temperature and water vapor, and changes in circulation and clouds in global warming can directly affect atmospheric chemistry with subsequent implications for these constituents. Although many coupling mechanisms are identified, the net effect of all these impacts on climate change is not well understood. In particular, changes in water vapor and clouds associated with the hydrologic cycle contain significant uncertainties.
