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Journal article

The impact of ship emission controls recorded by Cloud Properties

Abstract:
The impact of aerosols on cloud properties is one of the leading uncertainties in the human forcing of the climate. Ships are large, isolated sources of aerosol creating linear cloud formations known as shiptracks. These are an ideal opportunity to identify and measure aerosol-cloud interactions. This work uses over 17,000 shiptracks during the implementation of fuel sulfur content regulations to demonstrate the central role of sulfate aerosol in ship exhaust for modifying clouds. By connecting individual shiptracks to transponder data, it is shown that almost half of shiptracks are likely undetected, masking a significant contribution to the climate impact of shipping. A pathway to retrieving ship sulfate emissions is demonstrated, showing how cloud observations could be used to monitor air pollution.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1029/2019GL084700

Authors


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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-4273-6644


Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Journal:
Geophysical Research Letters More from this journal
Volume:
46
Issue:
21
Pages:
12547-12555
Publication date:
2019-11-30
Acceptance date:
2019-11-05
DOI:
EISSN:
1944-8007
ISSN:
0094-8276


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1076200
Local pid:
pubs:1076200
Deposit date:
2020-04-07

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