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Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXI pp 549–557Cite as

Will Pollution Reduce Precipitation?

Part of the NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security book series (NAPSC)

Abstract

The results of parcel model studies seem to indicate that increasing particulate pollution and decreasing solubility suppresses rain formation. In individual and short time cloud simulations this behaviour was confirmed in our 3D model studies. However, taking into account entire cloud fields over longer periods of time yields the strong spatial and temporal variability of the results with isolated regions of inverse correlation of the effects. Even though in general the expected behaviour was found, after several hours of simulation, the integrated precipitation of the more polluted cases caught up. This suggests that a changing pollution will affect the spatial and temporal pattern of precipitation, but will probably not reduce the overall long term precipitation amount which might be entirely governed by the moisture state of the atmosphere.

Keywords

  • Clouds
  • Aerosol particles
  • Pollution

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Andrea I. Flossmann & Wolfram Wobrock

  2. CNRS, INSU, UMR 6016, LaMP, F-63177, Aubière, France

    Andrea I. Flossmann & Wolfram Wobrock

Authors
  1. Andrea I. Flossmann
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  2. Wolfram Wobrock
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea I. Flossmann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept. of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia, Stores Road 6339, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada

    Douw G. Steyn

  2. CNR, Inst. of Atmospheric Sciences & Climate, Corsio Fiume 4, Torino, 10133, Italy

    Silvia Trini Castelli

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Flossmann, A.I., Wobrock, W. (2011). Will Pollution Reduce Precipitation?. In: Steyn, D., Trini Castelli, S. (eds) Air Pollution Modeling and its Application XXI. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1359-8_92

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