Articles | Volume 21, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-35-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-35-2021
Research article
 | 
04 Jan 2021
Research article |  | 04 Jan 2021

The potential of increasing man-made air pollution to reduce rainfall over southern West Africa

Gregor Pante, Peter Knippertz, Andreas H. Fink, and Anke Kniffka

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Cited articles

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Bichet, A. and Diedhiou, A.: Less frequent and more intense rainfall along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in West and Central Africa (1981–2014), Clim. Res., 76, 191–201, https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01537, 2018. a, b
Copernicus: Welcome to the Climate Data Store, available at: https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu, last access: 22 December 2020. a
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Short summary
Seasonal rainfall amounts along the densely populated West African Guinea coast have been decreasing during the past 35 years, with recently accelerating trends. We find strong indications that this is in part related to increasing human air pollution in the region. Given the fast increase in emissions, the political implications of this work are significant. Reducing air pollution locally and regionally would mitigate an imminent health crisis and socio-economic damage from reduced rainfall.
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