The Climatic Significance of Biogenic Aerosols in the Boreal Region Now and in the Future

The magnitude of aerosol radiative effects remains the single largest uncertainty in current estimates of anthropogenic radiative forcing. One of the key quantities needed for accurate estimates of anthropogenic radiative forcing is an accurate estimate of the radiative effects from natural aerosol. The dominant source of natural aerosols over Earth’s forested regions is biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) which, following oxidation in the atmosphere, can participate in new particle formation or condense onto aerosols to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Consequently, BVOC emissions could introduce a regionally relevant cooling feedback in a warming climate. The main objective of this study is to provide a quantitative estimate of the regional aerosol direct radiative effect caused by the temperature-dependent biogenic emissions over the boreal forests in present day conditions and in a warmer future. The study is done using a combination of climate modeling and satellite data. The aerosol-chem...