Stare at atmospheric composition change: toward elucidation of environmental geochemical cycle and global warming solutions

Overview

Increasing human activity, associated with growing world population particularly in Asia during the 21th century, triggers various types of changes in the Earth’s environment. Good examples are the carbon cycle change, increases in the NOx emission to the atmosphere and in the atmospheric aerosol (Black carbon, PM2.5 etc) amount. They will then perturb the Earth’s radiative budget and exert large impact on the Earth’s climate. However, still many uncertainties are associated with sources/sinks, transport, and chemical/physical processes of the chemical species in the atmosphere. In this study, we combine state-of-the-science field observations, satellite observations, and modeling in order to elucidate budget of key species, processes and mechanisms, and the relationship with climate change. Our new focus is on aerosol particles, whose behavior has not been so well understood despite the importance. We conduct ship-borne observations of marine atmospheric composition using R/V Mirai to elucidate their relationships with the Earth’s radiative budget, cloud/precipitation system, and marine ecosystem. Through these research activities, we provide better understanding of the mechanisms of atmospheric physics and chemistry, toward answers to the two key questions: “how does the environmental geochemical cycle through the atmosphere, ocean, and land tie the human activities, climate, and ecosystems?”, and “how to derive global warming solutions?”

Keywords

Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Oxides, PM2.5 Aerosols, Black carbon, Climate Effect, Satellite Observations, Field Observations, Modeling, MAX-DOAS, Data Assimilation, Budget, Transport, Chemical Reactions, Technological Development, Research Vessel Mirai, Bioaerosols, Ecosystem