Continental aerosol refers to the heterogeneous mixture of particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere over landmasses, typically dominated by mineral dust, organic and black carbon, secondary inorganic aerosols (sulfate, nitrate, ammonium), biological particles, and anthropogenic pollutants. As a substance class, continental aerosols exhibit wide size distributions from nanometer-scale nucleation particles to coarse-mode dust and sea-salt transported inland, with complex morphology and hygroscopicity. Their chemical composition reflects terrestrial sources such as soil resuspension, biomass burning, fossil fuel combustion, industrial emissions, and biogenic precursors, strongly influencing their optical properties, cloud-nucleating ability, and reactivity in atmospheric chemical processes.
Aerosols could hold the key to stopping potentially destructive cyclones in their tracks, according to a first-of-its-kind study from The Australian National University (ANU).
Earth Sciences
Jun 13, 2025
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Dust particles thrown up from deserts such as the Sahara and Gobi are playing a previously unknown role in air pollution, a new study has found.
Earth Sciences
Jun 6, 2025
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Highly sensitive detection methods allow ever deeper insights into complex chemical processes in the atmosphere: Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in Leipzig found a series of new product ...
Environment
May 26, 2025
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As Europe increases its reliance on solar energy to meet climate and energy security targets, a growing atmospheric phenomenon is complicating the path forward: Saharan dust. New research presented at the European Geosciences ...
Earth Sciences
May 2, 2025
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