Satellite data indicate that pollution control efforts that curbed levels of sulfur dioxide gas did not cause a major decrease in carbon dioxide absorption by plants.
air pollution
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Happens to Methane That Leaks from Abandoned Wells?
Three-dimensional simulations suggest that some aquifers may be more vulnerable to contamination from leaky oil wells than others.
Posted inAGU News
Closing the Air Quality Data Gap in the Developing World
How a husband-and-wife team created the world's first open access, open source international air quality data hub—a global resource for health organizations, policy makers, and others.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Drives Pollutant Dispersion at Night?
Better understanding of waves and turbulence in calm air could improve predictions of weather and pollutant dispersion.
Posted inNews
Human-Made Fires Pollute Air with Ozone Half a World Away
Fires in Africa and Southeast Asia contributed to western Pacific pollution, a study finds. Prior understanding attributed hefty levels of the harmful agent and greenhouse gas to natural processes.
Posted inScience Updates
Urbanization Affects Air and Water in Italy's Po Plain
Satellite and ground-based measurements show a correlation between urban growth and increased levels of pollutants.
Posted inNews
Reduced Middle East Air Pollution Linked to Societal Disruption
Invasions, armed conflict, sanctions, and economic distress correlate with cleaner air in high-resolution satellite data that reveal air quality at the individual city level.
Posted inNews
James N. Pitts Jr. (1921–2014)
Pitts's contributions to understanding what drives atmospheric pollution and his dedication to teaching and mentoring made him a preeminent leader in atmospheric chemistry.
Posted inOpinions
Is the Shale Boom Reversing Progress in Curbing Ozone Pollution?
Concentrations of volatile organic compounds—precursors to ground-level ozone formation—are on the rise in areas over and downwind of a major shale oil and gas field in Texas.
Posted inFeatures
Urbanization and Air Pollution: Then and Now
Analysis of decades of mitigation efforts in Los Angeles demonstrates that air quality in megacities can be greatly improved.