TY - JOUR
T1 - Potential impacts of air pollution aerosols on precipitation in Australia
AU - Lensky, I.
AU - Gingis, A.
AU - Pererson, J.
AU - Rosenfeld, D.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
M3 - Article
VL - 41
SP - 43
EP - 49
JO - Clean Air and Environmental Quality
JF - Clean Air and Environmental Quality
ER -