AREA Project

Explanation of the Diagram

Atmospheric aerosols are microscopic liquid or solid particles suspended in the air. These particles originate from both natural sources (volcanoes, oceans, deserts, biogenic emissions, biomass burning, etc.) and human activities (industry, traffic, heating, intensive livestock farming and agriculture, etc.).

They are released into the atmosphere alongside gaseous species such as ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The AREA project studies the reactivity of aerosols with these gases, as well as their interactions with solar radiation and clouds.

Aerosol–radiation and aerosol–cloud interactions remain poorly quantified. They depend heavily on several properties, including particle size, chemical composition, and atmospheric residence time. Advancing our understanding of the role aerosols play in the Earth–Atmosphere system is therefore essential. This approach is part of a broader effort to improve predictions of atmospheric chemical composition at both local and global scales, and to assess the impacts on climate and air quality in a rapidly changing world.