article · Journal of the Nigerian Society of Physical Sciences
An assessment of aerosol-induced atmospheric heating rates across Nigeria from 2000 to 2022 reveals a national average heating rate of 0.77 kelvin per day, with an insignificant downward trend over the period. Using radiative transfer modelling and statistical trend analyses, the research examined regional climate zones and aerosol types. Atmospheric heating rates correlated with aerosol optical depth across most climate zones. Sea salt and desert dust were identified as the primary drivers in areas displaying persistent decreases in atmospheric heating. Most climate zones were dominated by scattering aerosols, which helped limit atmospheric heating rates, particularly during the rainy season. Significant aerosol absorption was confined mostly to one climate zone between November and February. Coarse-mode aerosol absorption proved most prominent in northern Nigeria, whereas mixed-mode aerosols were more common across the south throughout multiple seasons.
Atmospheric heating caused by airborne particles directly influences regional climate patterns and the energy balance of the atmosphere. Tracking how different aerosols, such as desert dust and sea salt, heat or cool the air helps atmospheric scientists understand long-term regional climate variability and seasonal weather dynamics across diverse ecological zones.
The abstract does not indicate a commercialisation pathway, as the findings represent early-stage observational and modelling research for climate and atmospheric science.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Understanding the dynamics of atmospheric heating rates (AHR) is crucial for assessing the impact of aerosols on Earth's energy balance and consequently, on climate dynamics. This study investigates the spatial and temporal patterns of AHR across Nigeria from 2000 to 2022, using a radiative transfer model. Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) and Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLR) were employed to assess the persistence of AHR over time. The Mann-Kendall test was applied to identify trends in AHR and other related variables, while causal relationships between AHR and influencing aerosol variables were examined using Transfer Entropy (TE) analysis. The national average AHR was 0.77±0.15 K/day, with an insignificant decreasing trend from 2000 to 2022. The AHR distribution correlated with aerosol optical depth (AOD) in all climate zones except BSh and BWh. In zones with persistent substantial and marginal decreases in AHR, sea salt (SS) and desert dust (DU) were the dominant variables, with the highest TE values of 0.155 and 0.179, respectively. Findings show that monthly aerosol absorption (Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) <0.89) was prevalent only in the Csb climate zone between November and February, while other zones remained dominated by aerosol scattering (SSA > 0.89). This suggests the essential role of scattering aerosols in limiting AHR, especially during the rainy season. The aerosol absorption by coarse-mode aerosols was more dominant in northern Nigeria compared to mixed-mode aerosol absorption. Seasonally, the mixed-aerosol mode dominated in southern Nigeria during the December-January-February (DJF), June-July-August (JJA), and September-October-November (SON) seasons. This study provides insights into the complex dynamics of AHR, with important consequences for climate and atmospheric processes across different regions and seasons.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.46481/jnsps.2025.1918
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
