Physical meteorology and air quality are often thought of as separate disciplines. In this session we have attempted to clarify the close relationship that exist between the two. We have discussed the role that aerosols have in cloud formation, touched on the importance clouds themselves have in regard to air quality, and finally, focused on visibility as one piece of evidence of the need that exists to control what we put into the air. In addition, we have alluded to the health risks posed by increased concentrations of pollutants in the air.
But what about the future? Given the close relationship that exists between physical meteorology and air quality, what are some of the implications of the future if we don't make the effort now to fix these problems? Some of the more obvious effects include an increased impairment to the visual air quality. We run the distinct risk of creating a world where visibility is greatly reduced for extended periods of time or even indefinitely. Also, there is no reason to think that the smog problems of the large metropolitan areas would not worsen and extend over into large rural regions. Typical cloud chemistry could evolve in harmful way such that it might eventually give new meaning to the phrase "having sense enough to get in out of the rain."
Perhaps a less obvious result of our failure to control air pollution would be the shifts in climatology that might occur. While increased concentrations of greenhouse gases threaten us with potential global warming, increased aerosols could result in a global increase in cloud cover and cause global cooling. While the clouds reflect back the sun's radiation, the earth would slowly cool. Increased cloud cover could also lessen the differential heating that occurs across the globe, which drives much of the weather we experience. Changes in global weather patterns could be devastating.
Though many of these threats are theoretical, they are definitely on the minds of many air quality specialists and policy makers across the globe. At the very least, increased concentrations of pollutants in the air results in our increased exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals.
The
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Education Foundation, Inc.