Atmospheric aerosols from the Earth’s surface to the stratosphere: A global model perspective

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosols play a key role in the Earth’s climate system, influencing the radiative balance, the hydrological cycle, atmospheric chemistry, air quality, and human health. However, their precise effects depend strongly on their spatial and temporal distribution, as well as their properties such as mass, surface area and number concentration, and their chemical composition. Thus, the uncertainties on climate and health effects of atmospheric aerosols remain large. While in-situ and remote sensing observations provide valuable insights, they are often limited by their spatial and temporal coverage or by their inability to directly quantify key aerosol characteristics. To extrapolate these observations to global scales, comprehensive global atmospheric chemistry models are essential. This thesis presents a series of studies aimed at improving global simulations of atmospheric aerosols from the surface to the stratosphere using the ECHAM5/MESSy2 Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model. The improved model setup forms the basis for a more accurate representation of global aerosol distributions and composition, supporting a better understanding of their climate and health impacts, and advancing the knowledge of key aerosol-related processes.