Aerosols, and rising levels of certain aerosol types, are now recognized as important players in our environment, including climate change. Aerosol, or ‘particulate matter’ (PM), is the collective name for small particles and droplet solutions, with sizes ranging from ~1 nm to ~20 μm, suspended in the air. Aerosols vary enormously, in many ways, and in this respect, they differ radically from gases. In Section 4.7 we will look at their optical properties (i.e. their ability to scatter and absorb radiation) and the effects these may have on the energy flows that are central to climate. Aerosol particles are also the seeds of all cloud droplets, as will be discussed in Chapter 6, and so are a key component of the hydrological cycle. Finally, aerosols may be a pollution issue, and are a central component of air quality standards. For interested readers, we close with a section on aerosol research.
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