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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Measurement of Aerosols Optical Thickness of the Atmosphere using the GLOBE Handheld Sun Photometer

Measurement of Aerosols Optical Thickness of the Atmosphere using the GLOBE Handheld Sun Photometer

Published on: May 29, 2019

Bounding Global Aerosol Radiative Forcing of Climate Change.

N Bellouin¹, J Quaas², E Gryspeerdt³

¹Department of Meteorology University of Reading Reading UK.

Reviews of Geophysics (Washington, D.C. : 1985)

|August 1, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Anthropogenic aerosols significantly impact Earth's radiation budget, causing aerosol radiative forcing. This review refines estimates for this forcing, revealing a shift toward more negative values, crucial for climate change understanding.

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Area of Science:

Atmospheric Science
Climate Science
Earth System Science

Background:

Aerosols are key components of the Earth's climate system, influencing radiation and cloud processes.
Quantifying anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing is vital for understanding climate change, but significant uncertainties persist.
Past research has advanced aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interaction understanding, yet gaps remain.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a new, evidence-based range for aerosol radiative forcing during the industrial era.
To critically assess and synthesize multiple lines of evidence, including modeling, theory, and observations.
To reduce uncertainties in aerosol radiative forcing estimates.

Main Methods:

Synthesizing data from modeling approaches, theoretical considerations, and observational studies.
Improving constraints on aerosol absorption and surface radiative flux trends.
Evaluating evidence for aerosol impacts on liquid, mixed-phase, and ice clouds.
Utilizing surface temperature and radiative flux changes as additional constraints.

Main Results:

A new 68% confidence interval for total aerosol effective radiative forcing is estimated at -1.6 to -0.6 W m⁻².
A 90% likelihood interval for this forcing is determined to be -2.0 to -0.4 W m⁻².
These estimates are shifted toward more negative values compared to previous assessments, indicating a stronger cooling effect.

Conclusions:

Multiple lines of evidence constrain aerosol radiative forcing, with notable improvements in aerosol-radiation interactions and aerosol-cloud droplet number concentration.
Uncertainties persist regarding aerosol influences on cloud water content, cloud fraction, and mixed-phase/ice clouds.
Future research combining diverse evidence, particularly on industrial-era aerosol sources and cloud effects, is essential for narrowing future uncertainty ranges.