Dust, Bacteria, and Microplastics: A Modelling Journey through the Aerosol System
8A-208 - (Video-)Konferenzraum / (Video-) Conference Room
GEOMAR - Standort Ostufer / GEOMAR - East Shore
Speaker: Matthias Faust, TROPOS - Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research Leipzig
Hybrid - online via https://geomar.webex.com/geomar-en/j.php?MTID=mf415834ed76a742bacf01eada863885d
Meeting number: 2787 635 2083
Password: XYwu583sQtA
Abstract
Aerosol particles influence climate, air quality, ecosystems, and human health, however, their sources and impacts remain among the uncertain components of the Earth system. This talk presents a thematic journey through several research projects exploring model approaches for aerosol emission and transport across multiple scales.
Local air quality is shaped by emission sources that are often poorly characterised. One example is fugitive dust emissions from agricultural activity, which include not only particulate matter but also biological material, such as bacteria.
In parallel, airborne microplastic has emerged as a growing concern in the context of air quality. While local sources such as agriculture, traffic, and urban surfaces are likely important contributors, long-range transport from marine ecosystems is also being discussed. The diversity of sources, combined with a lack of observational constraints, makes modelling of microplastics emissions particularly challenging. On larger spatial scales, wind-driven mineral dust outbreaks originating from croplands can impact air quality across national borders and contribute to the deposition of material into marine ecosystems, including the Baltic Sea. In the atmosphere, aerosol-cloud interactions influence weather and climate processes. To better understand these interactions, recent work focuses on high-resolution, object-based tracking using model systems with a high-frequency output.
This talk highlights a range of modelling strategies that improve our understanding of diverse aerosol sources and their role in shaping air quality, weather and climate systems.