Atmosphere - Aerosols, climate, and the hydrological cycle

Human activities are releasing tiny particles (aerosols) into the atmospher e. These human-made aerosols enhance scattering and absorption of solar rad iation. They also produce brighter clouds that are less efficient at releas ing precipitation. These in turn lead to Large reductions in the amount of solar irradiance reaching Earth's surface, a corresponding increase in sola r heating of the atmosphere, changes in the atmospheric temperature structu re, suppression of rainfall, and less efficient removal of pollutants. Thes e aerosol effects can lead to a weaker hydrological cycle, which connects d irectly to availability and quality of fresh water, a major environmental i ssue of the 21st century.