What is Global Dimming?

Global Dimming is when pollutants mix with water vapor and form clouds. The
clouds formed reflect heat back into space thus lowering heat caused by global
warming. It is a phenomenon that happens due to reduction in the solar rays
falling on the earth's surface. The residues and particulates such as sulfur
dioxide, ash, soot (black carbon), that are produced after combustion of fossil
fuels cause global dimming. These pollutants evaporate and add to the droplets
in the cloud. The clouds that contain the sulfate aerosols (cloud of solid or liquid
particles in a gas), have a high reflective property, due to which they reflect the
suns rays that fall on them, back to the space. Solar rays are very essential for
the balance in water cycle. When the solar rays are reflected back to the space
by these particulates, then what happens? It causes reduction in water vapor
content in the atmosphere, which eventually results in less rainfall.
Global Dimming Major Causes
Aerosols fine particulate matter in form of solids or liquids

Usually from chemical or combustion processes

Are usually washed-out in rain

Sulfur containing compounds

Forms

Clouds diffuse fraction of solar irradiance

Lack of rain

Change optical properties of clouds

Famine and drought of 80s in Ethiopia.

Clouds at Molecular Level

Major Effect of Global dimming

World becomes darker

Plant photosynthesis light limited

Less solar energy possible

Masking effects of global warming

True global warming affect could already be in the 3C-5C range.

Clouds are chemically changed

Causes famine and drought

Acid rain formation

Health and Environmental Effects

The Health and Environmental effects caused by Global Dimming is big.
For Example, the pollutants Global Dimming uses can cause birth
defects,coughing,sneezing,itchy throat,lung damage,and other unknown
symptoms.
Whos are to be blame?
So whos to be blame this entire mess of Global Dimming?
The answer is every humans that burns fossil fuels in all ways,indirect or
direct.

The fault is also of plane contrails that form miniature clouds that cool the
earth because the contrails contain pollutants.

Different between Global Warming and Global Dimming

Global Warming
Global warming causes heating
effect in the earth's atmosphere,
Global warming is caused by
greenhouse gases
Global warming traps sunlight

Global Dimming
Global dimming causes cooling
effect.
Global dimming is caused by
aerosols.
Global dimming blocks sunlight.

Global Dimming Side Effect

Some scientists now consider that the effects of global dimming have masked the
effect of global warming to some extent and that resolving global dimming may
therefore lead to increases in predictions of future temperature rise. According to
Beate Liepert, "We lived in a global warming plus a global dimming world and
now we are taking out global dimming. So we end up with the global warming
world, which will be much worse than we thought it will be, much hotter." The
magnitude of this masking effect is one of the central problems in climate change
with significant implications for future climate changes and policy responses to
global warming.
Interactions between the two theories for climate modification have also been
studied, as global warming and global dimming are neither mutually exclusive
nor contradictory. In a paper published on March 8, 2005 in the American
Geophysical Union's Geophysical Research Letters, a research team led by
Anastasia Romanou of Columbia University's Department of Applied Physics and
Mathematics, New York, also showed that the apparently opposing forces of
global warming and global dimming can occur at the same time. Global dimming
interacts with global warming by blocking sunlight that would otherwise cause

evaporation and the particulates bind to water droplets. Water vapor is the major
greenhouse gas. On the other hand, global dimming is affected by evaporation
and rain. Rain has the effect of clearing out polluted skies.

Global Dimming is in fact hiding the power of Global Warming. It does this
because CFCs and other aerosols are major contributors to global dimming and
since these items have been banned Global Dimming has diminished and does
not protect humanity from Global Warming any longer. Because of Global
Dimming the water in key areas have cooled and have resulted into less rainfall.
This has led to bad crops or droughts for longer period in many parts of the world.
Global dimming has the potential to impact the Asian monsoon, the Asian
monsoon brings rain fall to 3 billion people. If this the monsoon gets impacted the
Global dimming impact will get elevated from millions to billion peoples deaths.
We all know how significant is rainfall for our living. The clear-cut effect of global
dimming is 'famine' and 'drought'. It was found that, the famines that happened
during 1970s and 1980s were a direct effect of rainfall shortage which is a cause
of this phenomenon. Billions of people from all over the world including America,
Europe, Asia, Africa are affected due to it, in the form of famines. Several areas in
North Africa got dried out due to inadequate rainfall. Even though Africa did not
contribute much to it by burning of fossil fuels, industrialization etc., it was badly
affected than any other developed and developing countries. The developed
countries such as the US is affected by acid rain, which is caused by the aerosols
in the clouds. The process of photosynthesis in the plants can reduce due to
shortage of solar rays.The sulfur aerosols when inhaled, can cause respiratory
diseases in human beings.
So what should we do?
We as humans need to be balance so that both Global warming and Global
dimming can be kept in control. We need to reduce our dependence fossil fuels
and turn towards green technologies. We need to create tighter regulations for
industries so that gas emitting from factories can be reduced or contained to
acceptable levels. We need to create awareness about Global warming an global
dimming in every part of world. We need to protect or natural resources such as
forest, oceans and snow capped mountains.
Sources

NASA

http://www.globalissues.org

http://www.buzzle.com/articles

Our brain

And a very special thanks to En Hamlussalam

The pictures are from www.earthwallpapers.org