Radiative Effects of Pollutants in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Abstract

The effect of pollutants, both gaseous and particulate, on the air temperature in the boundary layer is examined by computing their interaction with solar and infrared radiation. Carbon dioxide and large concentrations of ozone are found to be the most important gaseous IR absorbers. Nitrogen dioxide and high concentrations of SO₂ and O₃ produce important heating by absorption of solar radiation. The effect of particles on the solar and IR radiative heating rates computed for realistic numbers, size distributions and complex refractive indexes is found to approach or exceed the heating rates due to water vapor.