Seminar on Human-Induced Climate Change

Seminar on Human-Induced Climate Change

June 21, 2011 - Dr Vaishali Naik, a Scientist with the Atmospheric Physics, Chemistry and Climate Group from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) in Princeton, New Jersey recently presented a seminar on ‘Interactions between Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate: An Overview’ at the University of the South Pacific’s Marine Campus in Suva.

The seminar, which was jointly organised by the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at USP and the Chemical Society of the South Pacific (CSSP), was held on 9 June 2011.

In her presentation to the staff and students of the University, Dr Naik presented an overview of the current understanding of interactions between chemistry and climate.

“Natural and human activities release short-lived gases and aerosol particles that affect the radioactive balance of the Earth directly or indirectly,” she said.

She elaborated that human-induced climate forcing occurs via chemically active species in the Earth’s atmosphere. The most important of these species is the tropospheric ozone as the ozone is a greenhouse gas that absorbs outgoing infrared radiation and warms the surface of the Earth.

Dr Naik highlighted the key chemistry-climate and atmosphere-biosphere interactions in the earth’s atmosphere and their role in climate change impact assessment through new and innovative approaches to global earth system modeling.

She explained that the radioactive impact of aerosol particles is more complex and depends on their chemical composition. She added that aerosols can impact climate by modifying cloud properties.

She told participants that changes in climate can alter the spatial and temporal distribution of these short-lived species in the atmosphere by both changing emissions and changing the chemical processes occurring in the atmosphere.

According to Dr Naik, major uncertainties exist in the estimates of the overall climate impact of chemically active species and their evolution in the future.

ENDS

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