Aerosols

Aerosols are small particles or droplets that float in the air, originating from both natural sources (e.g., wildfire smoke, volcanic gases, sea spray) and human activities (e.g., air pollution particles, soot). 

Sources

NASA. “Aerosols: Small Particles with Big Climate Effects.” NASA Science. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/climate-science…

Related Content

Article

Space-based technology for aerosol monitoring and its role in the hydrological cycle

Extreme weather events, such as sudden downpours or prolonged droughts, disrupt economies, ecosystems, and communities. These events are closely linked to aerosols—tiny atmospheric particles that influence the hydrological cycle by altering cloud properties and precipitation. Understanding the interactions between aerosols, clouds, and the hydrological cycle is essential for managing climate variability.

卫星遥感技术在气溶胶监测以及水文循环研究的应用

Translated by Dr. Mengyi Jin

短时强降雨或长期干旱等极端天气事件往往会对地区经济、生态系统以及城市社区的正常运行造成负面影响。这些极端天气事件和大气中气溶胶的存在密切相关。气溶胶是悬浮于空气中的微小颗粒,它能够改变云的性质和降水过程,从而影响整个水文循环。因此,深入理解气溶胶、云以及水文循环之间的相互作用,对于应对气候变化具有重要意义。

近年来,随着太空技术的不断发展,尤其是卫星遥感技术的突破,气溶胶研究取得了重大进展。例如激光雷达(LiDAR)和多角度成像光谱辐射计等卫星遥感技术的广泛应用,使科学家们能够获取大气中气溶胶分布及其动态变化的高精度监测数据。这些数据有助于科学家们深入探讨气溶胶、降水以及水资源分布之间的关联(Winker et al. 2009)。通过大量实时监测数据,卫星遥感技术不仅提升了对水文循环的预测能力,也为提出应对水资源危机的政策建议提供了有力支持。