Potential impacts of air pollution aerosols on precipitation in Australia

I. Lensky, A. Gingis, J. Pererson, D. Rosenfeld

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

It has been known for decades that anthropogenic air pollution downwind of urban and industrial developments affects clouds microphysics by reducing droplet size and suppressing precipitationforming processes. Rosenfeld (2000), in confirming this with satellite-based physical measurements offered a range of case studies, including some downwind of air pollution sources in southeastern Australia. These findings prompted climatological studies that quantified anthropogenicallyinduced orographic precipitation losses of 10%-25% in parts of California and Israel, (Givati and Rosenfeld, 2004). In turn, these findings motivated field campaigns in California and in Israel, which use surface, aircraft and remote sensing measurements for documenting the interactions between the aerosols and their impacts on cloud composition and precipitation forming processes. Parallel studies of the suspected anthropogenically-induced orographic precipitation losses in Australia did not take place until now because the findings of Rosenfeld (2000) were received with skepticism by some of the Australian Government scientists. These objections were first put on record in a conference presentation by Ayers (2005). We show here that these objections are based on erroneous physical considerations, and that the evidence for anthropogenicallyinduced precipitation suppression in Australia is stronger than it was in 2000. This demonstrates the need to embark on a research program documenting the potential effects of air pollution on loss of precipitation, water resources and hydroelectric power generation in Australia. A suggested outline for a research plan is proposed.
Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)43-49
JournalClean Air and Environmental Quality
Volume41
StatePublished - 2006

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