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Mist and fog are aerosols. An aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas. [1] Aerosols can be generated from natural or human causes. The term aerosol commonly refers to the mixture of particulates in air, and not to the particulate matter alone. [2] Examples of natural aerosols are fog, mist or dust.
Particulates or atmospheric particulate matter (see below for other names) are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air.The term aerosol refers to the particulate/air mixture, as opposed to the particulate matter alone, [1] though it is sometimes defined as a subset of aerosol terminology. [2]
The atmosphere of Earth is composed of a layer of gas mixture that surrounds the Earth's planetary surface (both lands and oceans), known collectively as air, with variable quantities of suspended aerosols and particulates (which create weather features such as clouds and hazes), all retained by Earth's gravity.
Aerosol pollution over northern India and Bangladesh (Satellite image by NASA) Cloud condensation nuclei (CCNs), also known as cloud seeds, are small particles typically 0.2 μm, or one hundredth the size of a cloud droplet. [1] CCNs are a unique subset of aerosols in the atmosphere on which water vapour condenses.
Bioaerosols make up a small fraction of the total cloud condensation nuclei in the atmosphere (between 0.001% and 0.01%) so their global impact (i.e. radiation budget) is questionable. However, there are specific cases where bioaerosols may form a significant fraction of the clouds in an area. These include:
Sea spray generated by breaking surface waves. Sea spray consists of aerosol particles formed from the ocean, primarily by ejection into Earth's atmosphere through bursting bubbles at the air-sea interface [1] Sea spray contains both organic matter and inorganic salts that form sea salt aerosol (SSA). [2]
Among common marine aerosols, pure sea salt aerosols are the major component of marine aerosols with an annual global emission between 2,000-10,000 teragrams annually. [2] Through interactions with water, many marine aerosols help to scatter light, and aid in cloud condensation and ice nuclei (IN); thus, affecting the atmospheric radiation ...
In the physics of aerosols, deposition is the process by which aerosol particles collect or deposit themselves on solid surfaces, decreasing the concentration of the particles in the air. It can be divided into two sub-processes: dry and wet deposition.