Air Quality

In Subtopic (ST) 1.1 “Air quality”, we investigate the composition of our atmosphere, including the associated transformation and transport processes. This research deals in particular with those air constituents that affect human health, animal life and plants.

KIT has a long-standing tradition in atmospheric composition monitoring from ground-based stations and hosts the IAGOS-CARIBIC infrastructure for in-operation aircraft monitoring of the upper troposphere. The aerosol chamber AIDA is used for analyzing secondary aerosol formation and ageing processes important for health and climate. Together with our partners at FZJ and other Helmholtz Centers, this information is used to inform regional and micro-scale air quality models and to create support tools for decision makers.

During POF-IV, our main focus will be on urban areas, where new challenges continue to arise due to climate and societal changes, such as the energy transition, urbanization and population growth. This research aims at improving our understanding of the complex interactions between urban air quality and local climate.