BiotechMashup

Increasing the ratio of black carbon to sulfate in the atmosphere increases climate warming, suggests a new study.

(Carnegie Institution) Scientists have known for decades that black carbon aerosols add to global warming. These airborne particles made of sooty carbon are believed to be among the largest man-made contributors to global warming because they absorb solar radiation and heat the atmosphere. New research from Carnegie's Long Cao and Ken Caldeira, with colleagues, quantifies how black carbon's impact on climate depends on its altitude in the atmosphere.

Scientists have known for decades that black carbon aerosols add to global warming. These airborne particles made of sooty carbon are believed to be among the largest human-made contributors to global warming because they absorb solar radiation and heat the atmosphere. New research quantifies how black carbon's impact on climate depends on its altitude in the atmosphere.

(University of Iowa Health Care) Researchers from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine have found that inhaled carbon black nanoparticles create a double source of inflammation in the lungs.

(University of Hawaii at Manoa) A global warming event 55 million years ago cannot be solely explained by atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, a study published in Nature Geoscience shows. Richard Zeebe from the University of Hawaii and his team highlight gaps in scientists' understanding of impacts from intense and rapid climate change. Carbon dioxide released at the time can only account for a fraction of the temperature rise. So far unknown mechanisms must have contributed significantly to the ancient warming.

(National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (UK)) The present rate of greenhouse carbon dioxide emissions through fossil fuel burning is higher than that associated with an ancient episode of severe global warming, according to new research. The findings are published online this week by the journal Nature Geoscience.

(University of Iowa Health Care) The past decade has witnessed a significant growth in Asian air pollution, causing a great concern for air quality and climate. If government policymakers hope to contain the problem, they will need increased research and better computer models of black carbon and other aerosol pollutants, also known as atmospheric brown cloud, according to University of Iowa engineering professor Gregory Carmichael.

(University of Hawaii at Manoa) Global climate models disagree widely in the magnitude of the warming we can expect with increasing carbon dioxide. This is mainly because the models represent clouds differently. A new modeling approach successfully simulates the observed cloud fields in a key region for climate. The study finds a greater tendency for clouds to thin with global warming than in any of the current climate models. This means the expected warming may be greater than currently anticipated.

(European Commission Joint Research Centre) The Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone, supported by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization, brought together more than 70 experts to assess the state of science and existing policy options for addressing these pollutants. Among other conclusions, it was highlighted that specific measures could already have a positive impact on climate protection and public health. These measures do not replace those related to carbon dioxide, and their full implementation could reduce global warming by 0.5 degrees C.