Atmospheric Composition
A USGCRP Program Element

For long term plans, see Atmospheric Composition chapter of the Strategic Plan for the Climate Change Science Program (2003) posted on CCSP web site.

The composition of the atmosphere at global and regional scales influences climate, air quality, stratospheric ozone, and precipitation, which in turn affect human health and the vitality of ecosystems. Research and observational activities coordinated and supported by CCSP are being used to assess how human activities and natural processes affect atmospheric composition, and how that understanding may be used to inform decisionmaking in the United States and abroad. In FY 2008, emphasis will be given to studies of interactions between aerosols and non-CO2 gases, enhanced measurements of atmospheric water vapor, and interactions of pollutants with climate change. Special emphasis will be given to the climate impacts of pollutants associated with aviation.

Strategic Research Questions

3.1.  What are the climate-relevant chemical, microphysical, and optical properties, and spatial and temporal distributions, of human-caused and naturally occurring aerosols?

3.2.  What are the atmospheric sources and sinks of the greenhouse gases other than CO₂ and the implications for the Earth’s energy balance?

3.3.  What are the effects of regional pollution on the global atmosphere and the effects of global climate and chemical change on regional air quality and atmospheric chemical inputs to ecosystems?

3.4.  What are the characteristics of the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer in response to declining abundances of ozone-depleting gases and increasing abundances of greenhouse gases?

3.5.  What are the couplings and feedback mechanisms among climate change, air pollution, and ozone layer depletion, and their relationship to the health of humans and ecosystems?

See Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program, Chapter 3, for detailed discussion of these research questions.

Figure 1: Chemical and Transport Processes Related to Atmospheric Composition. These processes link the atmosphere with other components of the Earth system, including the oceans, land, and terrestrial and marine plants and animals. Credit: CCSP Strategic Plan (illustrated by P. Rekacewicz).

Atmospheric Composition [also available: PDF Version].  Chapter 3 from the Strategic Plan for the Climate Change Science Program (July 2003).

Atmospheric Composition.  Presentation from Breakout Session 3 of the US Climate Change Science Program: Planning Workshop for Scientists and Stakeholders, 3-5 December 2002, Washington, DC. 

Climate Variability -- Atmospheric Composition -- Water Cycle.  Presentation from Breakout Session 19 of the US Climate Change Science Program: Planning Workshop for Scientists and Stakeholders, 3-5 December 2002, Washington, DC.