Critical assessment of the current state of scientific knowledge, terminology, and research needs concerning the role of organic aerosols in the atmosphere, climate, and global change
Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: . In spite of impressive advances in recent years, our present understanding of organic aerosol (OA) composition, physical and chemical properties, sources and transformation characteristics is still rather limited, and their environmental effects remain highly uncertain. This paper discusses and prioritizes issues related to organic aerosols and their effects on atmospheric processes and climate, providing a basis for future activities in the field. Four main topical areas are addressed: i) sources of OA; ii) formation transformation and removal of OA; iii) physical, chemical and mixing state of OA; iv) atmospheric modelling of OA. Key questions and research priorities regarding these four areas are synthesized in this paper, and outstanding issues for future research are presented for each topical area. In addition, an effort is made to formulate a basic set of consistent and universally applicable terms and definitions for coherent description of atmospheric OA across different scales and disciplines.
Institutions: Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Hawaii System, University of Helsinki, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Crete, Hokkaido University, Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, ETH Zurich, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Technical University of Munich
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,725
Funder: Helsingin Yliopisto
OpenAlex ID: W2112632155