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Anthropogenic aerosols

Indirect warming effect from dispersion forcing

Nature volume 419, pages 580–581 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Anthropogenic aerosols enhance cloud reflectivity by increasing the number concentration of cloud droplets, leading to a cooling effect on climate that is referred to as the Twomey effect1,2. Here we show that anthropogenic aerosols exert an additional effect on cloud properties that is derived from changes in the spectral shape of the size distribution of cloud droplets in polluted air and acts to diminish this cooling. This finding could help to improve our understanding of the indirect aerosol effect and its treatment in climate modelling.

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Figure 1: Relation between the relative dispersion of cloud droplet size distribution, ɛ, and the number concentration of cloud droplets, N.

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Affiliations

  1. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, 11973, New York, USA

    Yangang Liu & Peter H. Daum

Authors
  1. Yangang Liu
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  2. Peter H. Daum
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Correspondence to Yangang Liu.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Liu, Y., Daum, P. Indirect warming effect from dispersion forcing. Nature 419, 580–581 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/419580a

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