Atmospheric aerosols : characteristics and radiative effects Climate and aerosols Physical optical and chemical characteristics of aerosols Measurements of aerosols: instrumentation techniques and parameters Aerosols: radiative transfer and effects Aerosol cloud interactions and aerosol climate coupling Aerosol impact on atmosphere and climate air pollution and air quality This book includes basic knowledge and understanding on the characteristics of aerosols over the continent and oceanic regions their composition residence times sinks and size distributions and their effects in the radiative transfer and climate of Earth