The Changing Atmosphere (Dahlem Workshop Reports-(LS) Life Sciences)

The Changing Atmosphere F. S. Rowland I. S. A. Isaksen Editors The global distribution of a large number of trace gases and aerosol particles is changing. Many of these species are of importance for the Earth’s climate and the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. Changes may therefore be important in the future for a wide range of environmental problems such as global temperature changes, the oxidation of acidic species, formation of photochemical oxidants, and depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer. In this volume four specific areas directly related to these problems are discussed: (a) how the atmosphere has already changed, (b) the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere, (c) changes in the Antarctic ozone, and (d) trace substances and radiation balance of the Earth. The authors of the background papers and the group reports discuss the state of knowledge in these four areas, with special emphasis on possible changes that have occurred in the global distribution of trace gases and aerosol particles as a result of human activities. This volume should appeal, in particular, to scientists working in the fields of atmospheric chemistry and physics, meteorology, and those interested in environmental issues such as climate change, ozone depletion, and tropospheric pollution.