RISUD Research Seminar: How Climate Change is Reshaping the Air We Breathe

Climate change is reshaping the air we breathe, but not in uniform ways. Warming, heatwaves, changing rainfall, wildfire smoke, natural emissions, and shifts in atmospheric circulation can alter ozone (O3) and aerosol particles (PM2.5). O3 often rises with heat, sunlight, and changing chemical conditions, while PM2.5 depends on competing effects of boundary-layer mixing, humidity, particle formation, and removal. Evidence from China shows that the boundary layer acts not only as a container for pollution, but also as a chemical reactor and feedback amplifier. Looking toward 2050, emission controls will remain essential for reducing winter PM2.5, yet climate change may reshape pollution hotspots and extreme events and trigger summertime O3 rebounds. Future research must connect Earth system science with health protection, carbon reduction, and climate adaptation.

Biography

Prof. CAO Junji 

Professor,
Institute of Atmospheric Physics,
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Prof. CAO Junji is a Distinguished Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a leading expert in aerosol science. His research on aerosol sources, formation, distribution, and climatic and health impacts has informed air pollution control and national policy in China. He has published over 900 SCI-indexed papers, with more than 91,000 Google Scholar citations and an h-index of 134. From 2012 to 2025, he directed two CAS institutes: the Institute of Atmospheric Physics and the Institute of Earth Environment. He is Vice President of the International Aerosol Research Assembly (IARA). His honors include the National Innovation Excellence Award (2026), election as an AAAS Fellow (2021), the Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award (2019), the TWAS Award in Earth, Astronomy and Space Sciences (2018), and the Frank A. Chambers Excellence in Air Pollution Control Award (2013). He was named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for eight consecutive years (2018–2025).