Sulfur aerosols impact human health, ecosystems, agriculture, and global and regional climate. A new annual estimate of anthropogenic global and regional sulfur dioxide emissions has been constructed spanning the period 1850 - 2005. A combination of mass balance and best available inventory data was used in order to achieve the most accurate estimate possible. Global emissions peaked in the early 1970s and decreased until 2000, with an increase in recent years due to increased emissions in China, international shipping, and developing countries in general. An uncertainty analysis was conducted including both random and systemic uncertainties. The overall global uncertainty in sulfur dioxide emissions is relatively small, but regional uncertainties of up to 30% were found. The largest contributors to uncertainty at present are emissions from China and international shipping.
Revised: March 31, 2011 |
Published: January 2, 2011
Citation
Smith S.J., J. van Aardenne, Z. Klimont, R. Andres, A.C. Volke, and S. Delgado Arias. 2011.Anthropogenic Sulfur Dioxide Emissions: 1850-2005.Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 11, no. 3:1101-1116.PNNL-SA-72901.doi:10.5194/acp-11-1101-2011