Articles | Volume 23, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8259-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8259-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
ACP Letters
| Highlight paper
| 
25 Jul 2023
ACP Letters | Highlight paper |
| 25 Jul 2023
| 25 Jul 2023
Detection of large-scale cloud microphysical changes within a major shipping corridor after implementation of the International Maritime Organization 2020 fuel sulfur regulations
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State
University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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Cited
20 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Addressing the urgent need for direct climate cooling: Rationale and options R. Baiman et al. 10.1093/oxfclm/kgae014
- Darkening clouds after restrictions in maritime sulfur emissions E. Scott 10.1038/s43017-023-00490-1
- Physical science research needed to evaluate the viability and risks of marine cloud brightening G. Feingold et al. 10.1126/sciadv.adi8594
- Observational Assessment of Changes in Earth’s Energy Imbalance Since 2000 N. Loeb et al. 10.1007/s10712-024-09838-8
- Lightning response to temperature and aerosols X. Qie et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ad63bf
- Impact of fuel sulfur regulations on carbonaceous particle emission from a marine engine M. Bauer et al. 10.1038/s41612-024-00838-4
- A global overview of marine heatwaves in a changing climate A. Capotondi et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01806-9
- Effects of intermittent aerosol forcing on the stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition P. Prabhakaran et al. 10.5194/acp-24-1919-2024
- Recent global temperature surge intensified by record-low planetary albedo H. Goessling et al. 10.1126/science.adq7280
- Multi-model effective radiative forcing of the 2020 sulfur cap for shipping R. Skeie et al. 10.5194/acp-24-13361-2024
- An Entropy Generation Rate Model for Tropospheric Behavior That Includes Cloud Evolution J. Sekhar 10.3390/e25121625
- Cutting ships’ pollution has climate downside 10.1038/d41586-023-02430-x
- Identifying when thresholds from the Paris Agreement are breached: the minmax average, a novel smoothing approach M. Van Vyve 10.1093/oxfclm/kgae009
- Ship emission variations during the COVID-19 from global and continental perspectives W. Yi et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176633
- Impact of Ship Emission Control Area Policies on Port Air Quality—A Case Study of Ningbo Port, China S. Lu & F. Zhou 10.3390/su16093659
- Rapid saturation of cloud water adjustments to shipping emissions P. Manshausen et al. 10.5194/acp-23-12545-2023
- Modifications on the coastal atmospheric sulfur and cloud condensation nuclei along the Eastern China seas by shipping fuel transition J. Mao et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173142
- Abrupt reduction in shipping emission as an inadvertent geoengineering termination shock produces substantial radiative warming T. Yuan et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01442-3
- Global warming in the pipeline J. Hansen et al. 10.1093/oxfclm/kgad008
- An open letter to the IMO supporting maritime transport that cools the atmosphere while preserving air quality benefits R. Baiman et al. 10.1093/oxfclm/kgae008
20 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Addressing the urgent need for direct climate cooling: Rationale and options R. Baiman et al. 10.1093/oxfclm/kgae014
- Darkening clouds after restrictions in maritime sulfur emissions E. Scott 10.1038/s43017-023-00490-1
- Physical science research needed to evaluate the viability and risks of marine cloud brightening G. Feingold et al. 10.1126/sciadv.adi8594
- Observational Assessment of Changes in Earth’s Energy Imbalance Since 2000 N. Loeb et al. 10.1007/s10712-024-09838-8
- Lightning response to temperature and aerosols X. Qie et al. 10.1088/1748-9326/ad63bf
- Impact of fuel sulfur regulations on carbonaceous particle emission from a marine engine M. Bauer et al. 10.1038/s41612-024-00838-4
- A global overview of marine heatwaves in a changing climate A. Capotondi et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01806-9
- Effects of intermittent aerosol forcing on the stratocumulus-to-cumulus transition P. Prabhakaran et al. 10.5194/acp-24-1919-2024
- Recent global temperature surge intensified by record-low planetary albedo H. Goessling et al. 10.1126/science.adq7280
- Multi-model effective radiative forcing of the 2020 sulfur cap for shipping R. Skeie et al. 10.5194/acp-24-13361-2024
- An Entropy Generation Rate Model for Tropospheric Behavior That Includes Cloud Evolution J. Sekhar 10.3390/e25121625
- Cutting ships’ pollution has climate downside 10.1038/d41586-023-02430-x
- Identifying when thresholds from the Paris Agreement are breached: the minmax average, a novel smoothing approach M. Van Vyve 10.1093/oxfclm/kgae009
- Ship emission variations during the COVID-19 from global and continental perspectives W. Yi et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176633
- Impact of Ship Emission Control Area Policies on Port Air Quality—A Case Study of Ningbo Port, China S. Lu & F. Zhou 10.3390/su16093659
- Rapid saturation of cloud water adjustments to shipping emissions P. Manshausen et al. 10.5194/acp-23-12545-2023
- Modifications on the coastal atmospheric sulfur and cloud condensation nuclei along the Eastern China seas by shipping fuel transition J. Mao et al. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173142
- Abrupt reduction in shipping emission as an inadvertent geoengineering termination shock produces substantial radiative warming T. Yuan et al. 10.1038/s43247-024-01442-3
- Global warming in the pipeline J. Hansen et al. 10.1093/oxfclm/kgad008
- An open letter to the IMO supporting maritime transport that cools the atmosphere while preserving air quality benefits R. Baiman et al. 10.1093/oxfclm/kgae008
Latest update: 02 Jan 2025
Executive editor
In 2020, a new international law was imposed that placed strong restrictions on sulfur emissions from the international shipping industry. In addition to reducing air pollution, an anticipated side effect was reduction of the climate cooling effect that is often associated with "ship-tracks". Aerosol pollutant emissions from ships, when they rise into overlying clouds, lead to higher cloud droplet number concentrations, smaller cloud droplet sizes, and clouds that are more reflective to incoming sunlight, easily seen in satellite imagery as long bright lines downwind of ships. Past studies into whether the new law has led to darker clouds have been equivocal. For this study, the authors used sophisticated statistical techniques to compare cloud droplet size and reflectivity before and after the law was implemented focusing on a shipping corridor in the southeast Atlantic. They found strong evidence that droplet sizes have indeed increased, and that clouds have darkened with a significant local climate warming. Globally, the impact is much smaller, but may still represent an important consideration for assessments of the total summed effect of aerosols on climate.
In 2020, a new international law was imposed that placed strong restrictions on sulfur emissions...
Short summary
Fuel sulfur regulations were implemented for ships in 2020 to improve air quality but may also accelerate global warming. We use spatial statistics and satellite retrievals to detect changes in the size of cloud droplets and find evidence for a resulting decrease in cloud brightness within a major shipping corridor after the sulfur limits went into effect. Our results confirm both that the regulations are being followed and that they are having a warming influence via their effect on clouds.
Fuel sulfur regulations were implemented for ships in 2020 to improve air quality but may also...
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