Local Arctic air pollution: Sources and impacts

• Published in: Ambio
• Main Authors: Law, Kathy S., Roiger, Anke, Thomas, Jennie L., Marelle, Louis, Raut, Jean-Christophe, Dalsoren, Stig, Fuglestvedt, Jan, Tuccella, Paolo, Weinzierl, Bernadett, Schlager, Hans
• Other Authors: TROPO - LATMOS, Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), DLR Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre = DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IPA), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt Oberpfaffenhofen-Wessling (DLR), Center for International Climate and Environmental Research Oslo (CICERO), University of Oslo (UiO), Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences L'Aquila (DSFC), Università degli Studi dell'Aquila = University of L'Aquila (UNIVAQ), Universität Wien = University of Vienna, European Union, ANR, CNRS, ANR-11-BS56-0021,CLIMSLIP,Climate impacts of short-lived pollutants and methane in the Arctic(2011)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: Climate; Human health; Air pollution; Arctic; [SDE]Environmental Sciences
• Online Access: https://insu.hal.science/insu-01625572; https://insu.hal.science/insu-01625572/document; https://insu.hal.science/insu-01625572/file/10.1007-s13280-017-0962-2.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-0962-2

International audience Local emissions of Arctic air pollutants and their impacts on climate, ecosystems and health are poorly understood. Future increases due to Arctic warming or economic drivers may put additional pressures on the fragile Arctic environment already affected by mid-latitude air pollution. Aircraft data were collected, for the first time, downwind of shipping and petroleum extraction facilities in the European Arctic. Data analysis reveals discrepancies compared to commonly used emission inventories, highlighting missing emissions (e.g. drilling rigs) and the intermittent nature of certain emissions (e.g. flaring, shipping). Present-day shipping/petroleum extraction emissions already appear to be impacting pollutant (ozone, aerosols) levels along the Norwegian coast and are estimated to cool and warm the Arctic climate, respectively. Future increases in shipping may lead to short-term (long-term) warming (cooling) due to reduced sulphur (CO2) emissions, and be detrimental to regional air quality (ozone). Further quantification of local Arctic emission impacts is needed.