Aerosols, Health and Climate: Gigacity and Future

782. WE-Heraeus-Seminar

20 Mar - 24 Mar 2023

Where:

Physikzentrum Bad Honnef

Scientific organizers:

Prof. Dr. Markku Kulmala, U of Helsinki • Prof. Dr. Yafang Cheng, MPIC Mainz • Prof. Dr. Hang Su, MPIC Mainz

Atmospheric aerosols are strongly affecting human health and climate in the Anthropocene. Airborne transmission by aerosols and droplets is important for the spread of viruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and fine aerosol particles (e.g., PM2.5) are associated with several adverse health effects causing significance increase of premature death and mortality. Besides, aerosols can also interact with radiation and clouds, regulating the earth energy budget, water cycle and the climate.

Despite its importance, the large knowledge gap in aerosol formation and interaction processes introduce large uncertainties, preventing us from developing effective measures to mitigate adverse impact of aerosols. This seminar will deal with these questions in depth, especially the most challenging ones and key bottlenecks that can be resolved by an interdisciplinary approach through collaborations between experimentalists and modeler, and between researchers from different disciplines. We will place the discussion of aerosol impact in this context of gigacities, typical examples of the huge human influence on the earth, aiming at bringing enlightenment to the future development of human society.

The seminar will focus on the following topics:
• Atmospheric aerosols and air pollution
• Aerosol, health and pandemic
• Aerosol and climate
• Interdisciplinary emerging techniques and knowledge

Potential participants are both excellent established scientists who, as invited speakers, can give an up-to-date overview of the various aspects of aerosol research, and outstanding young scientists and doctoral students who are eager to think outside the box and would like to learn an interdisciplinary approach to break the borders of different areas.


The conference language will be English. The Wilhelm and Else Heraeus-Foundation bears the cost of full-board accommodation for all participants.