Abstract
ATMOSPHERIC aerosols can affect climate by scattering and absorbing solar radiation1-3. Most recent studies of such effects have focused largely on anthropogenic sulphate aerosols, which are believed to exert a substantial cooling influence2. Mineral dust aerosols have been largely ignored, because it was thought that their scattering efficiency and concentrations were too low to have a substantial effect on climate. Here we report measurements of the light-scattering properties of North African dust delivered to Barbados by the North Atlantic trade winds. Although the mass scattering efficiency of the dust is only about a quarter of that of non-seasalt sulphate over the North Atlantic5, the annual-mean dust concentration in Barbados trade-wind air is 16 times that of non-seasalt sulphate6. The net scattering by mineral dust is therefore about four times that by non-seasalt sulphate aerosols. African mineral dust should therefore be the dominant light-scattering aerosol throughout the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic region. Our observations suggest that mineral dust could be an important climate-forcing agent over this ocean region and in other regions where dust concentrations are high7,8.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 416-419 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Volume | 380 |
| Issue number | 6573 |
| State | Published - Apr 4 1996 |
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Dominance of mineral dust in aerosol light-scattering in the North Atlantic trade winds. / Li, X.; Maring, H.; Savoie, D.; Voss, Kenneth; Prospero, J. M.
In: Nature, Vol. 380, No. 6573, 04.04.1996, p. 416-419.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Dominance of mineral dust in aerosol light-scattering in the North Atlantic trade winds
AU - Li, X.
AU - Maring, H.
AU - Savoie, D.
AU - Voss, Kenneth
AU - Prospero, J. M.
PY - 1996/4/4
Y1 - 1996/4/4
N2 - ATMOSPHERIC aerosols can affect climate by scattering and absorbing solar radiation1-3. Most recent studies of such effects have focused largely on anthropogenic sulphate aerosols, which are believed to exert a substantial cooling influence2. Mineral dust aerosols have been largely ignored, because it was thought that their scattering efficiency and concentrations were too low to have a substantial effect on climate. Here we report measurements of the light-scattering properties of North African dust delivered to Barbados by the North Atlantic trade winds. Although the mass scattering efficiency of the dust is only about a quarter of that of non-seasalt sulphate over the North Atlantic5, the annual-mean dust concentration in Barbados trade-wind air is 16 times that of non-seasalt sulphate6. The net scattering by mineral dust is therefore about four times that by non-seasalt sulphate aerosols. African mineral dust should therefore be the dominant light-scattering aerosol throughout the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic region. Our observations suggest that mineral dust could be an important climate-forcing agent over this ocean region and in other regions where dust concentrations are high7,8.
AB - ATMOSPHERIC aerosols can affect climate by scattering and absorbing solar radiation1-3. Most recent studies of such effects have focused largely on anthropogenic sulphate aerosols, which are believed to exert a substantial cooling influence2. Mineral dust aerosols have been largely ignored, because it was thought that their scattering efficiency and concentrations were too low to have a substantial effect on climate. Here we report measurements of the light-scattering properties of North African dust delivered to Barbados by the North Atlantic trade winds. Although the mass scattering efficiency of the dust is only about a quarter of that of non-seasalt sulphate over the North Atlantic5, the annual-mean dust concentration in Barbados trade-wind air is 16 times that of non-seasalt sulphate6. The net scattering by mineral dust is therefore about four times that by non-seasalt sulphate aerosols. African mineral dust should therefore be the dominant light-scattering aerosol throughout the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic region. Our observations suggest that mineral dust could be an important climate-forcing agent over this ocean region and in other regions where dust concentrations are high7,8.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029775275&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029775275&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0029775275
VL - 380
SP - 416
EP - 419
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
SN - 0028-0836
IS - 6573
ER -