Integrative analysis of desert dust size and abundance suggests less dust climate cooling.

ABSTRACT: Desert dust aerosols affect Earth's global energy balance through interactions with radiation^1,2, clouds^3,4, and ecosystems⁵. But the magnitudes of these effects are so uncertain that it remains unclear whether atmospheric dust has a net warming or cooling effect on global climate^1,4,6. Consequently, it is still uncertain whether large changes in atmospheric dust loading over the past century have slowed or accelerated anthropogenic climate change^4,7-9, and the climate impact of possible future alterations in dust loading is similarly disputed^9,10. Here we use an integrative analysis of dust aerosol sizes and abundance to constrain the climatic impact of dust through direct interactions with radiation. Using a combination of

SUBMITTER: Kok JF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7398272 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature