New study highlights shortcomings in current modelling of water uptake by aerosols

Atmospheric aerosols are tiny particles suspended in the air that represent one of the greatest uncertainties in our knowledge about climate change. Earth system models are the scientists’ best tool to forecast future scenarios of climate change but they require accurate information to produce reliable predictions.

Understanding the behaviour of aerosols is a key question for making predictions about climate change. Photo: Jonas Witt/Flickr

Now a new study by researchers at the Department of Environmental Science and colleagues from Europe, Asia and the USA shows large discrepancies across different climate models with respect to how aerosol particles take up water molecules in the atmosphere. The study, which was funded by the US Department of Energy, was published recently in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

Read the whole article on Dept. of Environmental Science’s website.