TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantification of the effect of urbanization on solar dimming
AU - Alpert, Pinhas
AU - Kishcha, Pavel
PY - 2008/4/28
Y1 - 2008/4/28
N2 - During the 25-year period (1964-1989), a noticeable decline in surface solar radiation, termed global dimming, over worldwide sites was essentially a local phenomenon associated with human activity as expressed by the sites' population density. Specifically, our findings indicate that solar dimming was observed only over a limited part (∼30%) of the total land area, restricted to highly-populated sites with population density higher than 10 person/km2. Dimming was dominated by anthropogenic aerosol emissions: the decline in surface solar radiation intensified from -0.05 W/m2/yr to -0.32 W/m2/yr, with population density increasing from 10 to 200 person/km2. At sites with population density >200 person/km2, a saturation effect was observed: declining trends were much less pronounced than those over sites with a lower population density. Overall, it is demonstrated that urban areas obtained less solar radiation, compared to rural areas in the amount of ∼12 W/m2 which is equivalent to about 8%.
AB - During the 25-year period (1964-1989), a noticeable decline in surface solar radiation, termed global dimming, over worldwide sites was essentially a local phenomenon associated with human activity as expressed by the sites' population density. Specifically, our findings indicate that solar dimming was observed only over a limited part (∼30%) of the total land area, restricted to highly-populated sites with population density higher than 10 person/km2. Dimming was dominated by anthropogenic aerosol emissions: the decline in surface solar radiation intensified from -0.05 W/m2/yr to -0.32 W/m2/yr, with population density increasing from 10 to 200 person/km2. At sites with population density >200 person/km2, a saturation effect was observed: declining trends were much less pronounced than those over sites with a lower population density. Overall, it is demonstrated that urban areas obtained less solar radiation, compared to rural areas in the amount of ∼12 W/m2 which is equivalent to about 8%.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=48249119635&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1029/2007GL033012
DO - 10.1029/2007GL033012
M3 - מאמר
AN - SCOPUS:48249119635
VL - 35
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
SN - 0094-8276
IS - 8
M1 - L08801
ER -