Air pollution increases river flow

(A recent study published in the journal Nature Geoscience shows that polluted air has a significant impact on the total flow of many rivers and streams in the Northern Hemisphere.

The article demonstrates the type of pollution, known as aerosols, that can affect the natural environment and emphasize the importance of considering these factors while assessing climate change. future.

The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, is the result of collaboration between scientists at the Met Office, Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Reading University, Laboratoire de Metorologie laboratory. Dynamique in France, and the University of Exeter.

Nicola Gedney, a scientist from Met Office and the lead author of the research paper, said: "We found that the sun impact is obscured by the promotion of river flow in the regions at Northern subtropical regions strongly industrialize We estimate that in most river basins in central Europe pollution, this impact leads to an increase in flow rates up to 25% when aerosol concentrations are at its peak around 1980. Along with water shortages becoming one of the greatest impacts of climate change in the future, these findings are important when making forecasts for the future. " .

Previous scientists have also demonstrated that increased combustion of sulfur-containing coal in the late 1970s led to the formation of many aerosols in the atmosphere. Aerosols in the atmosphere are solid or liquid particles that remain suspended in the air. Aerosols in the atmosphere are of natural or artificial origin. Aerosols are obstacles that reflect sunlight and therefore reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface of the earth, this effect is called "sunlight dimming" (solar dimming) . This situation has forced countries in Europe and North America to enact clean air regulations and lead to a widespread shift in the use of cleaner fuels.

In the new study, the researchers found that sunlight blurring increases the flow of rivers and streams that may be related to surface meteorological phenomena, such as reducing the amount of light the sun leads to a rate of evaporation on the affected earth's surface. When the sunlight blurring is reversed, scientists have observed a reduction in river flow.

Chris Huntingford, one of the co-authors of the article from the Center for Ecology and Hydrology, said: "This study uses techniques that help clarify the relationship between aerosols and storage changes. water volume of the river ".

Studies like this study often look at how factors affect different temperatures, but here we can evaluate the artificial effect on an environmental impact. "

"In addition, we found another indication that increased carbon dioxide levels could increase the flow of rivers and streams through reducing the evapotranspiration of plants," co-author Peter Cox came from the field. Exeter University said.