Solar Radiation, Aerosol, and Multiple Interactions Between Solar Radiation and Atmospheric Substances

Dear Colleagues,

Solar radiation plays a vital role in the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and their interactions on Earth. The atmospheric compositions can vary drastically with the rapid change in human and global activities, for example, in industrial developments, including the agricultural and chemical industries, land use, deforestation, and biomass burning. Such activities either directly emit gases, liquids, and particles (or aerosols) from all kinds of sources or lead to their indirect production through chemical and photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. NOx, SO₂, O₃, anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs, BVOCs), organic carbon and black carbon (OC, BC), secondary organic aerosol (SOA), and other components all interact with each other, with other aerosols and clouds, as well as with solar radiation in the UV, visible, and near-infrared regions. Different aerosols show different absorbing and scattering features that depend on the region and source. Investigating the variation in the atmospheric constituents including aerosol, clouds, polluted gases, and particles, along with their interactions with each other and impacts on solar radiation, is particularly important.

To better understand the carbon balance in ecosystems and its roles in climate change, it is necessary to study all components of carbon exchange and their driving factors, along with their variations at different time scales.

Solar radiation controls climate change and ecosystem evolution (including the response of forest ecosystem); in turn, the changes in the atmosphere, ecosystem, and land also influence solar radiation transfer in the atmosphere, along with regional and global climate and climate change through multiple interactions. Therefore, the means with which solar radiation, alongside its interaction with atmospheric substances, contributes to climate change at different time scales (e.g., extending to hundreds or thousands of years) warrants investigation. Until now, surface and satellite observations and model studies have been reliably effective tools to thoroughly study the above natural processes, interactions, and mechanisms.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect and exchange current studies concerning the above associated issues to improve our understanding of solar radiation, atmosphere, biosphere, land, and climate, especially their interactions (i.e., between solar radiation and gas, liquid, and particle compositions in the atmosphere), in representative regions (e.g., the three poles) and in the world. All associated submissions are strongly welcome and encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Jianhui Bai
Prof. Dr. Weiqiang Ma
Guest Editors

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