Soot is the second largest contributor to climate change

Soot, the black carbon that triggers smog and coughing fits, is also the biggest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, according to a four-year assessment by US scientists. A new study concludes that black carbon, the soot particles in smoke and smog, contributes about twice as much to global warming as previously estimated, even by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007.

"We were surprised by its potential contribution to climate," said Sarah Doherty, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington (UW) and one of the four lead authors, reports the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres.

Black carbon contributes to climate change in mid- to high latitudes, including the northern US, Canada, northern Europe, and northern Asia, as well as influencing the precipitation patterns of the Asian monsoon. (IANS, more at khaleejtimes.com)