L’ozone est un problème loin d’être résolu
La vague de chaleur de juin l’a clairement montré : malgré l’amélioration de la qualité de l’air, la valeur limite de l’ozone proche du sol est régulièrement dépassée en été. Cette pollution est accentuée par le temps ensoleillé et sec, de plus en plus fréquent en Suisse sous l’effet du changement climatique. Par ailleurs, malgré l’interdiction des chlorofluorocarbures à la fin des années 1980, le trou dans la couche d’ozone stratosphérique ne se résorbe que lentement. Pour réduire les effets négatifs sur la santé, la végétation et le climat, des réglementations ainsi qu’une surveillance mondiale restent nécessaires, comme le montre une nouvelle fiche d’information de l’Académie suisse des sciences naturelles.
Immagine: Fabrizio Vignali (PMOD/WRC)Ozone – A simple molecule with enduring impact on climate, air quality and health
Despite political efforts, the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer is progressing only slowly, and ground-level concentrations regularly exceed regulatory limits. Further measures are needed to reduce the negative impacts on health, vegetation and climate. Global monitoring remains necessary. Switzerland contributes with the World’s longest record of ozone observations that began 100 years ago in Arosa on 23 July 1926 and continue now in Davos.
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ACP Award 2025
At the 23rd Swiss Geoscience Meeting, held in Bern in December 2025, the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Award was presented to Hermenia Torell'o i Sentelles for her doctoral thesis “Exploring the effects of urban areas on the space time properties of heavy rainfall.” Her research investigates how cities of varying sizes and climatic settings modify precipitation patterns. Using remote-sensing data, particularly weather radar observa-tions, she analysed storm behaviour in space and time with a storm tracking algorithm. Building on these findings, she applied convection resolving numerical modelling to uncover the dynamic and thermodynamic mechanisms that drive the urban influence on extreme precipitation.
Immagine: ACP
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ACP Award 2024
At the Swiss Geoscience meeting in Basel in November 2024, the ACP Award for Atmospheric Research was presented to Dominique Rust for her PhD thesis “Verification of halogenated greenhouse gas emissions by regional atmospheric observations in Europe”. Her work covers a wide range of methods, from precision measurements of gases to statistical data analysis. The award committee was particularly impressed by one part of her thesis work: In a tracer-release experiment she could quantify emissions from a fluorocarbon industry cluster and could show that effective abatement measures do reduce HFC emissions.
Immagine: ACP
Il raffreddore da fieno è in aumento a causa del cambiamento climatico
Con il cambiamento climatico, la stagione del raffreddore da fieno si sta allungando, le concentrazioni di polline stanno aumentando e si stanno diffondendo piante invasive altamente allergizzanti. I ricercatori della Commissione svizzera di chimica e fisica dell'atmosfera (CPA), dell'Accademia svizzera di scienze naturali e di MeteoSvizzera hanno valutato e riassunto le conoscenze attuali in materia.
Immagine: stock.adobe.com/schulziePollen allergy and the impact of a changing climate
While hay fever was almost unheard of in Switzerland 100 years ago, at present, around 20 percent of the Swiss population suffers from pollen allergy. Importantly, climate change is causing an earlier onset and increased intensity of the pollen season for many allergenic plants. Climate change also fosters the spread of highly allergenic invasive plants like ragweed. Furthermore, the combined exposure to air pollution and pollen may worsen allergic reactions through increased sensitivity and increased pollen allergenicity. Scientists of the Swiss Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics provide an overview of pollen, hay fever, and how climate change is affecting both.
Immagine: CC BY-NC-ND