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Related effects
Related effects
Carbon monoxide has an indirect radiative effect by elevating concentrations of
methane and tropospheric ozone through scavenging of atmospheric constituents
(e.g., the hydroxyl radical, OH) that would otherwise destroy them. Carbon
monoxide is created when carbon-containing fuels are burned incompletely.
Through natural processes in the atmosphere, it is eventually oxidized to carbon
dioxide. Carbon monoxide has an atmospheric lifetime of only a few months and as
a consequence is spatially more variable than longer-lived gases.
Another potentially important indirect effect comes from methane, which in
addition to its direct radiative impact also contributes to ozone formation.
Shindell et al (2005) argue that the contribution to climate change from methane
is at least double previous estimates as a result of this effect.
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