The Atmospheric Sciences

The Atmospheric Sciences

Author: Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1998-11-05

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13: 0309517656

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Technology has propelled the atmospheric sciences from a fledgling discipline to a global enterprise. Findings in this field shape a broad spectrum of decisions--what to wear outdoors, whether aircraft should fly, how to deal with the issue of climate change, and more. This book presents a comprehensive assessment of the atmospheric sciences and offers a vision for the future and a range of recommendations for federal authorities, the scientific community, and education administrators. How does atmospheric science contribute to national well-being? In the context of this question, the panel identifies imperatives in scientific observation, recommends directions for modeling and forecasting research, and examines management issues, including the growing problem of weather data availability. Five subdisciplines--physics, chemistry, dynamics and weather forecasting, upper atmosphere and near-earth space physics, climate and climate change--and their status as the science enters the twenty-first century are examined in detail, including recommendations for research. This readable book will be of interest to public-sector policy framers and private-sector decisionmakers as well as researchers, educators, and students in the atmospheric sciences.


The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research

The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-01-29

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 0309445655

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Our world is changing at an accelerating rate. The global human population has grown from 6.1 billion to 7.1 billion in the last 15 years and is projected to reach 11.2 billion by the end of the century. The distribution of humans across the globe has also shifted, with more than 50 percent of the global population now living in urban areas, compared to 29 percent in 1950. Along with these trends, increasing energy demands, expanding industrial activities, and intensification of agricultural activities worldwide have in turn led to changes in emissions that have altered the composition of the atmosphere. These changes have led to major challenges for society, including deleterious impacts on climate, human and ecosystem health. Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing society today. Air pollution is a major threat to human health, as one out of eight deaths globally is caused by air pollution. And, future food production and global food security are vulnerable to both global change and air pollution. Atmospheric chemistry research is a key part of understanding and responding to these challenges. The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry Research: Remembering Yesterday, Understanding Today, Anticipating Tomorrow summarizes the rationale and need for supporting a comprehensive U.S. research program in atmospheric chemistry; comments on the broad trends in laboratory, field, satellite, and modeling studies of atmospheric chemistry; determines the priority areas of research for advancing the basic science of atmospheric chemistry; and identifies the highest priority needs for improvements in the research infrastructure to address those priority research topics. This report describes the scientific advances over the past decade in six core areas of atmospheric chemistry: emissions, chemical transformation, oxidants, atmospheric dynamics and circulation, aerosol particles and clouds, and biogeochemical cycles and deposition. This material was developed for the NSF's Atmospheric Chemistry Program; however, the findings will be of interest to other agencies and programs that support atmospheric chemistry research.


Modeling of Atmospheric Chemistry

Modeling of Atmospheric Chemistry

Author: Guy P. Brasseur

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-06-19

Total Pages: 631

ISBN-13: 1108210953

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Mathematical modeling of atmospheric composition is a formidable scientific and computational challenge. This comprehensive presentation of the modeling methods used in atmospheric chemistry focuses on both theory and practice, from the fundamental principles behind models, through to their applications in interpreting observations. An encyclopaedic coverage of methods used in atmospheric modeling, including their advantages and disadvantages, makes this a one-stop resource with a large scope. Particular emphasis is given to the mathematical formulation of chemical, radiative, and aerosol processes; advection and turbulent transport; emission and deposition processes; as well as major chapters on model evaluation and inverse modeling. The modeling of atmospheric chemistry is an intrinsically interdisciplinary endeavour, bringing together meteorology, radiative transfer, physical chemistry and biogeochemistry, making the book of value to a broad readership. Introductory chapters and a review of the relevant mathematics make this book instantly accessible to graduate students and researchers in the atmospheric sciences.


Global Environmental Change

Global Environmental Change

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1999-09-14

Total Pages: 621

ISBN-13: 0309174325

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How can we understand and rise to the environmental challenges of global change? One clear answer is to understand the science of global change, not solely in terms of the processes that control changes in climate and the composition of the atmosphere, but in how ecosystems and human society interact with these changes. In the last two decades of the twentieth century, a number of such research effortsâ€"supported by computer and satellite technologyâ€"have been launched. Yet many opportunities for integration remain unexploited, and many fundamental questions remain about the earth's capacity to support a growing human population. This volume encourages a renewed commitment to understanding global change and sets a direction for research in the decade ahead. Through case studies the book explores what can be learned from the lessons of the past 20 years and what are the outstanding scientific questions. Highlights include: Research imperatives and strategies for investigators in the areas of atmospheric chemistry, climate, ecosystem studies, and human dimensions of global change. The context of climate change, including lessons to be gleaned from paleoclimatology. Human responses toâ€"and forcing ofâ€"projected global change. This book offers a comprehensive overview of global change research to date and provides a framework for answering urgent questions.


Atmospheric Aerosols

Atmospheric Aerosols

Author: Rekha Kale

Publisher: Scitus Academics LLC

Published: 2015-03

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781681171326

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Atmospheric Aerosols is a vital problem in current environmental research due to its importance in atmospheric optics, energetics, radiative transfer studies, chemistry, climate, biology and public health. Aerosols can influence the energy balance of the terrestrial atmosphere, the hydrological cycle, atmospheric dynamics and monsoon circulations. Because of the heterogeneous aerosol field with large spatial and temporal variability and reduction in uncertainties in aerosol quantification is a challenging task in atmospheric sciences. Keeping this in view the present study aims to assess the impact of aerosols on coastal Indian station Visakhapatnam and the adjoining Bay of Bengal. An aerosol is a colloid of fine solid particles or liquid droplets, in air or another gas. Aerosols can be natural or not. Examples of natural aerosols are fog, forest exudates and geyser steam.


Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry

Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry

Author: Daniel J. Jacob

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 0691001855

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Atmospheric chemistry is one of the fastest growing fields in the earth sciences. Until now, however, there has been no book designed to help students capture the essence of the subject in a brief course of study. Daniel Jacob, a leading researcher and teacher in the field, addresses that problem by presenting the first textbook on atmospheric chemistry for a one-semester course. Based on the approach he developed in his class at Harvard, Jacob introduces students in clear and concise chapters to the fundamentals as well as the latest ideas and findings in the field. Jacob's aim is to show students how to use basic principles of physics and chemistry to describe a complex system such as the atmosphere. He also seeks to give students an overview of the current state of research and the work that led to this point. Jacob begins with atmospheric structure, design of simple models, atmospheric transport, and the continuity equation, and continues with geochemical cycles, the greenhouse effect, aerosols, stratospheric ozone, the oxidizing power of the atmosphere, smog, and acid rain. Each chapter concludes with a problem set based on recent scientific literature. This is a novel approach to problem-set writing, and one that successfully introduces students to the prevailing issues. This is a major contribution to a growing area of study and will be welcomed enthusiastically by students and teachers alike.


Atmospheric Aerosol Properties and Climate Impacts

Atmospheric Aerosol Properties and Climate Impacts

Author: Mian Chin

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2009-05

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1437912613

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This Synthesis and Assessment Product (SAP) critically reviews current knowledge about global distributions and properties of atmospheric aerosols, as they relate to aerosol impacts on climate. It assesses possible next steps aimed at substantially reducing uncertainties in aerosol radiative forcing estimates. Current measurement techniques and modeling approaches are summarized, providing context. The objectives of this report are: (1) to promote a consensus about the knowledge base for climate change decision support; and (2) to provide a synthesis and integration of the current knowledge of the climate-relevant impacts of anthropogenic aerosols. Illustrations.


A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change

Author: Panel on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1996-05-01

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 0309588871

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This book recommends the initiation of an "integrated" research program to study the role of aerosols in the predicted global climate change. Current understanding suggest that, even now, aerosols, primarily from anthropogenic sources, may be reducing the rate of warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to specific research recommendations, this book forcefully argues for two kinds of research program integration: integration of the individual laboratory, field, and theoretical research activities and an integrated management structure that involves all of the concerned federal agencies.


Radiative Forcing of Climate Change

Radiative Forcing of Climate Change

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2005-03-25

Total Pages: 222

ISBN-13: 0309133505

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Changes in climate are driven by natural and human-induced perturbations of the Earth's energy balance. These climate drivers or "forcings" include variations in greenhouse gases, aerosols, land use, and the amount of energy Earth receives from the Sun. Although climate throughout Earth's history has varied from "snowball" conditions with global ice cover to "hothouse" conditions when glaciers all but disappeared, the climate over the past 10,000 years has been remarkably stable and favorable to human civilization. Increasing evidence points to a large human impact on global climate over the past century. The report reviews current knowledge of climate forcings and recommends critical research needed to improve understanding. Whereas emphasis to date has been on how these climate forcings affect global mean temperature, the report finds that regional variation and climate impacts other than temperature deserve increased attention.


Nitrogen, the Confer-N-s

Nitrogen, the Confer-N-s

Author: K. van der Hoek

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2012-12-02

Total Pages: 813

ISBN-13: 0080984681

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The First International Nitrogen Conference provided an opportunity for researchers and decision-makers to exchange information on environmental pollution by nitrogen compounds on three scales: global, continental/regional and local. The main topics were air, ground water and surface water pollution; emission sources, atmospheric chemistry, deposition processes and effects; disturbance of nitrogen cycles, critical loads and levels; assessments, policy development and evaluation; target groups and abatement techniques; and new approaches leading to an integrated abatement strategy.The peer-reviewed papers from the Conference presented in this volume will provide readers with a comprehensive review of the transport, deposition and impact on ecosystems of nitrogen.