The Importance of Aerosols in the Earth System: Science and Engineering Perspectives

Abstract

The significance of aerosol particles was first appreciated by physicists, chemists, and meteorologists, beginning in the 1880s. More recently, it has been shown that aerosols actively link the Earth’s four spheres: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere. Aerosol science and engineering have expanded to encompass nano- to global-scale issues, and the growing knowledge in these fields has been applied to some of the emerging global environmental challenges, including public health, air pollution, regional haze, and global warming. Some progress in these areas is briefly reviewed below and future perspectives are presented.