Researchers propose a new metric using aerosols to understand changes in transboundary air pollution pathways due to climate changes.
Researchers propose a new metric using aerosols to understand changes in transboundary air pollution pathways due to climate changes.
Researchers analyzed long-term aerosol satellite observation big data focusing on the Pacific Ocean downwind of China. Using a newly developed metric that considered aerosols as tracers, they detected altered atmospheric transport patterns associated with climate change. They observed that the distance of transboundary air pollution moving east from China had shortened. Thus, long-term satellite-based Earth observations are crucial for early climate change detection and accurate evaluation of this trend.
Climate change is one of the most significant environmental challenges of present times, leading to extreme weather events, including droughts, forest fires, and floods. The primary driver for climate change is the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere due to human activities, which trap heat and raise Earth’s temperature. Aerosols (such as particulate matter, PM2.5) not only affect public health but also influence the Earth’s climate by absorbing and scattering sunlight and altering cloud properties. Although future climate change predictions are being reported, it is possible that the impacts of climate change could be more severe than predicted. Therefore, it is necessary to detect climate change accurately and as early as possible.
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