Investigation of the aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions over the Arctic during winter

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According to the International Panel on Climate Change, the Arctic will be the most affected region on Earth by the increase of greenhouse gases. Because of the permanent snow and ice cover, the Arctic is extremely vulnerable to rapid modification of its climate. In this research, another important factor contributing to modify the Arctic climate is investigated, anthropogenic aerosols. The Arctic can be very polluted during winter despite its remote location. The atmospheric circulation during winter favours the preservation and transport of large concentrations of sulphate, soot, and organic compounds over the Arctic. These aerosols can modify the formation and evolution of clouds, which are very frequent over the Arctic during winter. In turn, clouds regulate the amount of terrestrial radiation reaching the surface, thus contributing to either warm or cool the surface. This research aims at improving the simulation of the interactions between aerosols and clouds. A new indirect effect of sulphate aerosols, namely the dehydration-greenhouse feedback (DGF), is also investigated. The DGF could contribute to cool the Arctic during winter, thus partially counteracting the warming due to increasing greenhouse gases.