Aerosols include a wide range of tiny particles like soot from combustion, dust from deserts, sea salt from ocean spray, and even pollen from plants. These particles can affect air quality, human health, and climate.

Desert dust particules can travel across entire continents and oceans, thousands of kilometers away. For example, the Gobi Desert dust plumes reach regularly the Hawaiian Islands (~ 9000 Km) ! These particles influence air quality, climate, and even ocean ecosystems by transporting nutrients like iron.
See more info: https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/saharan-dust-qas

A study analyzing nearly ten years of satellite data estimated that clouds cover about 67% of Earth's surface.
For more info: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/cloudy-earth/

Aerosols originate from both natural processes (like volcanic eruptions, sea spray, and forest emissions) and human activities (such as burning fossil fuels, industrial processes, and deforestation).

Industrial activities, vehicle emissions, and biomass burning release large amounts of gases (sulfur dioxide and other gases), black carbon aerosols, and other types of aerosol particules into the atmosphere, significantly impacting air quality and climate.

Read more about this recent study here.

Aerosols cool the climate by reflecting sunlight back into space, reducing the amount of heat reaching Earth's surface. Sulfate aerosols from fossil fuel combustion are particularly effective at scattering solar radiation. They also enhance cloud formation, making clouds brighter and longer-lasting, which increases their reflectivity. Although, not all aerosols cool the climate—black carbon (soot) absorbs heat and contributes to warming, the overall effect is a cooling one.

More info: www.esa.int