Abstract
This chapter presents a review of two of the aerosol–cloud–climate interactions: the effects of atmospheric aerosol on clouds, and the effects of clouds on atmospheric aerosol. The corresponding aerosol–cloud interactions over the continents are depicted. The main sources of sulfur and nitrogen gases are from anthropogenic and biomass combustion. These gases can be absorbed into cloud particles; they are oxidized to form aerosol, some of which can serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). CCN are also injected directly into the atmosphere from the Earth's surface. Aqueous-phase chemical reactions in clouds can enhance the activity of CCN released from evaporating clouds. Also, in-cloud chemical reactions are probably often the main mechanism for acidifying cloud water and precipitation in polluted air, with nucleation scavenging and below-cloud removal generally playing important but lesser roles. Clouds and precipitation are important sinks for atmospheric aerosol. This affects the size distribution and chemical nature of atmospheric aerosol and the chemical composition of clouds and precipitation. In addition to modifying existing aerosol, some recent research indicates that clouds can be involved in the nucleation of new aerosol.
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