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Biogeochemical Effects and Climate Feedbacks of Aerosols

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Abstract

Aerosols have a climate impact through aerosol–radiation interactions and aerosol–cloud interactions, but can also interact with a number of biogeochemical cycles and have an impact on ecosystems. Physical and biological processes are sources of aerosols that can be modified by climate change, allowing for the possibility for climate feedback loops that can play a role in natural climate variability. This chapter provides a short description of some of the processes involved in these biogeochemical effects, such as the impact of aerosols on diffuse radiation at the surface and photosynthesis by terrestrial ecosystems, deposition of nutrients, and acidification. It is followed by a discussion of possible feedback loops involving aerosols, looking separately at the different aerosol species such as sulphate aerosols from dimethylsulphide, sea spray, secondary organic aerosols, biomass burning aerosols, and desert dust.

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  1. Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Tour 45–55, 3e étage, Case courrier 99 Université Pierre et Marie Curie 4 place Jussieu, 75252, Cedex 05, Paris, France

    Olivier Boucher

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Boucher, O. (2015). Biogeochemical Effects and Climate Feedbacks of Aerosols. In: Atmospheric Aerosols. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9649-1_11

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