The atmosphere is the central arena for climate change. Greenhouse gases and other short-lived climate forcing agents such as aerosols are emitted directly into the atmosphere, and the interaction of atmospheric gases and particles with atmospheric radiation is the principal source of climate forcing. As voiced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activities are largely responsible.
This is not the first time that humans have influenced atmospheric chemistry. Starting long before the industrial revolution, humankind has altered the composition of the atmosphere, as evidenced by biomass burning, the notorious London smog, urban photochemical air pollution, acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, and now greenhouse gas pollution. To mitigate the changes of anthropogenic climate change requires understanding of both the natural atmosphere and the effects of anthropogenic pollutants. Moreover, the atmosphere is just one component of the complex earth climate system, which responds in multifarious ways to forcing. Thus we also need to understand the feedback mechanisms linking the atmosphere to the other components of the climate system.
The aim of this series is to present authoritative summaries of research on atmospheric chemistry in a changing world. The summaries will range from comprehensive reviews of major subject areas, to focused accounts by individual research groups. The topics will include laboratory studies, field measurements, in situ monitoring and remote sensing, studies of composition, chemical modeling, and theories of atmospheric chemistry and climate. They will also touch on feedback mechanisms, emissions and deposition, and other links between the atmosphere and the climate system at large.
By gathering these new Advances in one place, we aim to catalyze productive communication among the many researchers who are studying this changing world.