Key challenges for tropospheric chemistry in the Southern Hemisphere

• Published in: Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene
• Main Authors: Paton-Walsh, Clare, Emmerson, Kathryn M., Garland, Rebecca M., Keywood, Melita, Hoelzemann, Judith J., Huneeus, Nicolas, Buchholz, Rebecca R., Humphries, Ruhi S., Altieri, Katye, Schmale, Julia, Wilson, Stephen R., Labuschagne, Casper, Kalisa, Egide, Fisher, Jenny A., Deutscher, Nicholas M., Van Zyl, Pieter G., Beukes, Johan P., Joubert, Warren, Martin, Lynwil, Mkololo, Thumeka, Barbosa, Cybelli, Andrade, Maria de Fatima, Schofield, Robyn, Mallet, Marc D., Harvey, Mike J., Formenti, Paola, Piketh, Stuart J., Olivares, Gustavo
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of California Press 2022
• Subjects: Biogenics; Fires; Southern Ocean; Atmospheric composition research; Southern Hemisphere; Atmospheric chemistry
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/91037; https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00050

This commentary paper from the recently formed International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Southern Hemisphere Working Group outlines key issues in atmospheric composition research that particularly impact the Southern Hemisphere. In this article, we present a broad overview of many of the challenges for understanding atmospheric chemistry in the Southern Hemisphere, before focusing in on the most significant factors that differentiate it from the Northern Hemisphere. We present sections on the importance of biogenic emissions and fires in the Southern Hemisphere, showing that these emissions often dominate over anthropogenic emissions in many regions.We then describe how these and other factors influence air quality in different parts of the Southern Hemisphere. Finally, we describe the key role of the Southern Ocean in influencing atmospheric chemistry and conclude with a description of the aims and scope of the newly formed IGAC Southern Hemisphere Working Group. International Global Atmospheric Chemistry has been supported for many years with funding grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is a major facility sponsored by the National Science Foundation. NMD is supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, FT180100327. JS holds the Ingvar Kamprad Chair for extreme environments research sponsored by Ferring Pharmaceuticals. https://www.elementascience.org am2023 Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology