Air Pollution Levels Depend On Drizzle Rates
Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Scripps Institution of Oceanography and international collaborators have shown that an improved representation of drizzle rates leads to more pollution in the atmosphere. The research appears in Nature Geoscience.
Atmospheric aerosols are of great climatic and environmental importance due to their effects on the Earth’s radiative energy balance and air quality. Aerosol concentrations are strongly influenced by rainfall through wet removal processes. In general, light rainfall is more effective at removing pollutants from the atmosphere than heavy rain. Global and regional climate models have been used to quantify potential impacts of aerosol concentrations on climate. However, most current climate models tend to produce too much light rain and too little heavy rain, which, in turn, underestimates the effects of aerosols on the climate.