Sulfate aerosols

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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (January 2007)

Sulfate aerosols are produced by chemical reactions in the atmosphere from gaseous precursors (with the exception of sea salt sulfate and gypsum dust particles). The two main sulfate precursors are sulfur dioxide (SO₂) from anthropogenic sources and volcanoes, and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) from biogenic sources, especially marine plankton. These aerosols can cause a cooling affect on earth.

[edit] See also

• CLAW hypothesis
• Cloud condensation nuclei
• Sulfur cycle