ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOLS - BIOGEOCHEMICAL SOURCES AND ROLE IN ATMOSPHERICCHEMISTRY

Atmospheric aerosols play important roles in climate and atmospheric c hemistry: They scatter sunlight, provide condensation nuclei for cloud droplets, and participate in heterogeneous chemical reactions. Two im portant aerosol species, sulfate and organic particles, have large nat ural biogenic sources that depend in a highly complex fashion on envir onmental and ecological parameters and therefore are prone to influenc e by global change. Reactions in and on sea-salt aerosol particles may have a strong influence on oxidation processes in the marine boundary layer through the production of halogen radicals, and reactions on mi neral aerosols may significantly affect the cycles of nitrogen, sulfur , and atmospheric oxidants.