Articles | Volume 24, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7385-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-24-7385-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Jun 2024
Research article |
| 27 Jun 2024
| 27 Jun 2024
Global scenarios of anthropogenic mercury emissions
Pollution Management Group, Energy, Climate and Environment Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Sciences, Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria
School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9J, UK
Peter Rafaj
Pollution Management Group, Energy, Climate and Environment Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Sciences, Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Robert Sander
Pollution Management Group, Energy, Climate and Environment Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Sciences, Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Fabian Wagner
Pollution Management Group, Energy, Climate and Environment Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Sciences, Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Jenny Marie Jones
School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9J, UK
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Pallav Purohit, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, John Dulac, Nihar Shah, Max Wei, Peter Rafaj, and Wolfgang Schöpp
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 11305–11327, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11305-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-11305-2020, 2020
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Adriana Gómez-Sanabria, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Peter Rafaj, and Wolfgang Schöpp
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8681–8723, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8681-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8681-2017, 2017
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N. S. Umo, B. J. Murray, M. T. Baeza-Romero, J. M. Jones, A. R. Lea-Langton, T. L. Malkin, D. O'Sullivan, L. Neve, J. M. C. Plane, and A. Williams
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5195–5210, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5195-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5195-2015, 2015
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Subject: Climate and Earth System | Research Activity: Atmospheric Modelling and Data Analysis | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
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Donghuan Li, Tianjun Zhou, Youcun Qi, Liwei Zou, Chao Li, Wenxia Zhang, and Xiaolong Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7347–7358, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7347-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7347-2024, 2024
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Two sets of climate model simulations are used to investigate the dynamic and thermodynamic factors of future change in cold extremes in East Asia. Dynamic factor accounted for over 80 % of cold-month temperature anomalies in past 50 years. The intensity of cold extreme is expected to decrease by 5 ℃, with thermodynamic factor contributing ~ 75 % by the end of the 21st century. Changes in dynamic factor are driven by an upward trend of positive Arctic Oscillation-like sea level pressure pattern.
Johannes Mülmenstädt, Edward Gryspeerdt, Sudhakar Dipu, Johannes Quaas, Andrew S. Ackerman, Ann M. Fridlind, Florian Tornow, Susanne E. Bauer, Andrew Gettelman, Yi Ming, Youtong Zheng, Po-Lun Ma, Hailong Wang, Kai Zhang, Matthew W. Christensen, Adam C. Varble, L. Ruby Leung, Xiaohong Liu, David Neubauer, Daniel G. Partridge, Philip Stier, and Toshihiko Takemura
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Human activities release copious amounts of small particles called aerosols into the atmosphere. These particles change how much sunlight clouds reflect to space, an important human perturbation of the climate, whose magnitude is highly uncertain. We found that the latest climate models show a negative correlation but a positive causal relationship between aerosols and cloud water. This means we need to be very careful when we interpret observational studies that can only see correlation.
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7227–7252, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7227-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7227-2024, 2024
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The aerosol impact on monsoon precipitation and circulation is strongly influenced by a model-simulated spatio-temporal variability in the climatological monsoon precipitation across Asia, which critically modulates the efficacy of aerosol–cloud–precipitation interactions, the predominant driver of the total aerosol response. There is a strong interplay between South Asia and East Asia monsoon precipitation biases and their relative predominance in driving the overall monsoon response.
Tapio Schneider, L. Ruby Leung, and Robert C. J. Wills
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Brian Nathan, Joannes D. Maasakkers, Stijn Naus, Ritesh Gautam, Mark Omara, Daniel J. Varon, Melissa P. Sulprizio, Lucas A. Estrada, Alba Lorente, Tobias Borsdorff, Robert J. Parker, and Ilse Aben
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Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo region is notoriously hard to observe from space and features intensive oil exploitation, although production has strongly decreased in recent years. We estimate methane emissions using 2018–2020 TROPOMI satellite observations with national and regional transport models. Despite the production decrease, we find relatively constant emissions from Lake Maracaibo between 2018 and 2020, indicating that there could be large emissions from abandoned infrastructure.
Jiachen Cao, Xu Yue, and Mingrui Ma
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We implemented two widely used ozone damage schemes into a same regional model. Although the two schemes yielded distinct ozone vegetation damages, they predicted similar feedbacks to surface air temperature and ozone air quality in China. Our results highlighted the significance of ozone pollution control given its detrimental impacts on ecosystem functions, contributions to global warming, and amplifications of ozone pollution through ozone–vegetation coupling.
Claire Louise Vincent and Andrew J. Dowdy
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-228, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-228, 2024
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Steven C. Sherwood and Chris E. Forest
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2679–2686, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2679-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2679-2024, 2024
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The most fundamental parameter used to gauge the severity of future climate change is the so-called equilibrium climate sensitivity, which measures the warming that would ultimately occur due to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Due to recent advances it is now thought to probably lie in the range 2.5–4 °C. We discuss this and the issues involved in evaluating and using the number, pointing to some pitfalls in current efforts but also possibilities for further progress.
Audran Borella, Olivier Boucher, Keith P. Shine, Marc Stettler, Katsumasa Tanaka, Roger Teoh, and Nicolas Bellouin
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Dieu Anh Tran, Christoph Gerbig, Christian Rödenbeck, and Sönke Zaehle
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Christopher D. Wells, Matthew Kasoar, Majid Ezzati, and Apostolos Voulgarakis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1025–1039, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1025-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1025-2024, 2024
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Human-driven emissions of air pollutants, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels, impact both the climate and human health. Millions of deaths each year are caused by air pollution globally, and the future trends are uncertain. Here, we use a global climate model to study the effect of African pollutant emissions on surface level air pollution, and resultant impacts on human health, in several future emission scenarios. We find much lower health impacts under cleaner, lower-emission futures.
Dharmendra Kumar Singh, Swarnali Sanyal, and Donald J. Wuebbles
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-127, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-127, 2024
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Radiative forcing of contrails could triple by 2050 due to increased air traffic and potential changes in flight altitudes. Factors like air traffic patterns, fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, and climate change further influence this impact. By highlighting gaps in knowledge and uncertainties, the research helps set priorities for future studies and assess strategies to mitigate the environmental impact of aviation emissions.
Xipeng Jin, Xuhui Cai, Xuesong Wang, Qianqian Huang, Yu Song, Ling Kang, Hongsheng Zhang, and Tong Zhu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 259–274, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-259-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-259-2024, 2024
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Michael Stanley, Mikael Kuusela, Brendan Byrne, and Junjie Liu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2675, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2675, 2024
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To serve the uncertainty quantification (UQ) needs of data assimilation (DA) practitioners, we describe and justify a UQ algorithm from carbon flux inversion and incorporate its uncertainty into the final reported UQ. The algorithm is mathematically proved and its performance is shown on a carbon flux observing system simulation experiment. These results legitimize and generalize this algorithm’s current use and make available this effective algorithm to new DA domains.
Olaf Morgenstern
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2427, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2427, 2023
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I use errors in climate model simulations of historical surface temperature to derive correction factors for the impacts of greenhouse gases and particles that bring these simulations into agreement with an observational reconstruction. On average, across 14 models a reduction by about 2/3 of the particles-induced cooling would be required, causing only 0.2 K of cooling since 1850. The greenhouse gas warming simulated by several highly sensitive models would also reduce.
Clare Marie Flynn, Linnea Huusko, Angshuman Modak, and Thorsten Mauritsen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15121–15133, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15121-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15121-2023, 2023
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The latest-generation climate models show surprisingly cold mid-20th century global-mean temperatures, often despite exhibiting more realistic late 20th/early 21st century temperatures. A too-strong aerosol forcing in many models was thought to the be primary cause of these too-cold mid-century temperatures, but this was found to only be a partial explanation. This also partly undermines the hope to construct a strong relationship between the mid-century temperatures and aerosol forcing.
Xiao Ma, Yanping Li, Zhenhua Li, and Fei Huo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2342, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2342, 2023
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This research studies the climatological attributes of low-level jets (LLJs) across North America using a 4km simulation. The study identifies significant LLJ systems such as the Great Plains LLJs. It also provides insights into less adequately represented LLJ systems by coarser models, such as the Quebec Northerly LLJ and small-scale low-level wind maxima around the Rocky Mountains. Additionally, the study investigates three distinct LLJs' diverse physical mechanisms driving their formation.
Suvarna Fadnavis, Bernd Heinold, T. P. Sabin, Anne Kubin, Katty Huang, Alexandru Rap, and Rolf Müller
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10439–10449, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10439-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10439-2023, 2023
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The influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on the Himalayas caused increases in snow cover and a decrease in runoff, ultimately leading to an enhanced snow water equivalent. Our findings highlight that, out of the two processes causing a retreat of Himalayan glaciers – (1) slow response to global climate change and (2) fast response to local air pollution – a policy action on the latter is more likely to be within the reach of possible policy action to help billions of people in southern Asia.
Amelie U. Schmitt, Felix Ament, Alessandro C. de Araújo, Marta Sá, and Paulo Teixeira
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9323–9346, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9323-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9323-2023, 2023
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Tall vegetation in forests affects the exchange of heat and moisture between the atmosphere and the land surface. We compared measurements from the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory to results from a land surface model to identify model shortcomings. Our results suggest that soil temperatures in the model could be improved by incorporating a separate canopy layer which represents the heat storage within the forest.
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Short summary
To understand how atmospheric mercury levels will change in the future, we model how anthropogenic Hg releases will change following developments in human energy use and mercury use and efforts to reduce pollution and battle climate change. Overall, the findings emphasize that it will be necessary to implement targeted Hg control measures in addition to stringent climate and clean air policies to achieve significant reductions in Hg emissions.
To understand how atmospheric mercury levels will change in the future, we model how...
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