Aerosols

	Atmospheric aerosols are minor constituents of the atmosphere by mass, but a critical component in terms of impacts on the climate and especially climate changes. Aerosols influence the global radiation balance by directly scattering solar radiation and indirectly through influencing cloud reflectivity, cloud cover and cloud lifetime.
	Domain:	Atmosphere
	Subdomain:	Atmospheric Composition
	Scientific Area:	Physical Properties
	ECV Steward:	Paolo Laj, Peng Zhang
	Products:	Aerosol optical depth, Single-scattering albedo, Aerosol-layer height, Aerosol-extinction coeff. profile