Reduced greenhouse gas emissions for a year or two won’t slow down climate change, but they may throw off scientists’ ability to model short-term phenomena.
air quality
Posted inNews
Pollution Spikes in Chile Tied to Soccer Fans’ Barbecuing
In Santiago, mysterious pollution spikes—tenfold above normal levels—occur during televised soccer matches and are caused by tens of thousands of barbecues, new results reveal.
Posted inNews
Coronavirus Lockdown Brings Clean Air to Spanish Cities
Measures against the spread of the new coronavirus have an unexpected side effect: record-low air pollution levels.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Long Reach of El Niño’s Broom
Both the El Niño Southern Oscillation and natural variations in tropical Pacific weather conditions impact surface air quality in the Eastern United States.
Posted inNews
Deepwater Horizon Dispersant Cleared the Air, New Model Shows
A simulation of oil and gas leakage during the Deepwater Horizon disaster finds that the main chemical dispersant used improved air quality for emergency responders.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
No Evidence for Unknown Source of Ozone Precursor
A study suggests that known combustion and photochemical sources of nitrous acid, a precursor to ground-level ozone, are enough to explain levels seen in the atmosphere.
Posted inScience Updates
The Impact of African Dust on Air Quality in the Caribbean Basin
Symposium on Airborne Dust, Climate Change, and Human Health; Miami, Florida, 19–21 May 2015
Posted inNews
Despite Stalled Regulations, U.S. Mercury Emissions Decline
Newly published measurements made downwind of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio coal-burning plants reveal steep, unexpected drops in atmospheric mercury concentrations since 2006.
Posted inScience Updates
Fortifying International Collaborations on African Air Quality
First West African Workshop on Air Quality, Measurements, and Modeling; Abuja, Nigeria, 9–12 June 2014
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Reduced Emissions Lead to Clearer Skies over Alabama
Aerosol pollutants are on the decline—and so are their effects.