Research report 2005 - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Atmospheric Sulfuric Acid: Influence on Environment and Climate
Authors
Arnold, Frank
Departments
Atmosphärische Spurengase und Ionen (Prof. Dr. Frank Arnold)
MPI für Kernphysik, Heidelberg
Summary
It might be only a coincidence that mankind did not yet perturb the climate system even more than it seems to be the case anyway. The coincidence might be the mostly man-made formation of atmospheric sulfuric acid which forms climate-active aerosol particles. Recent work of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics has led to new insights in the formation of these aerosol particles. The work comprises process studies in the laboratory as well as atmospheric measurements of aerosol precursors (trace gases, ions, and molecular clusters) [1].