Air pollution cooling the Earth

1999/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

That is what the theory proposed by atmospheric chemist Robert Charlson says after 30 years of study. According to him, the very industry that warms the atmosphere through greenhouse gases emits particles lower than the micron. These particles create a kind of bulging, reflecting the rays of the sun and returning them to space. This would mean a certain cooling of the Earth's surface and, consequently, a certain balance in warming due to the greenhouse effect.

However, the phenomenon is not well known and for this they have organized a mission called PICCASO-CENA, which consists in measuring by satellite with a special laser beam the sunlight that isolates clouds and these particles.

In any case, the greenhouse effect acts day and night, and this other phenomenon occurs only in the places where these particles are found and during the day. That's why it doesn't seem that both effects are fully balanced.