Why is atmospheric science important?
The atmosphere is a key part of the Earth's life support system and influences the oceans, poles and terrestrial environments.
Many atmospheric processes remain poorly understood, yet their effects are often global. Numerous issues which concern us all (such as climate change, the effects of air pollution on our health and our climate, the ozone hole, aircraft emissions and particles from vehicle exhausts) can only be tackled by actions and policies that rely on atmospheric science. For example:
International agreements such as the Kyoto and Montreal Protocols need high quality science to inform policy and assess compliance.
Better understanding and forecasting of natural weather hazards, such as storms, floods and droughts, can save lives and livelihoods.
Our ability to predict the weather and climate on a range of time scales has large economic benefits to agriculture, water resources, and industry.
Sustainable energy production often depends on a better understanding of processes in the atmosphere.
Atmospheric science, supported by NERC though responsive research and research programmes, can be found on Grants on the Web. NERC also supports Atmospheric National Capability through the National Centre for Atmospheric Science.