The greater Mediterranean basin is a challenging study area encompassing a variety of contrasted natural environments and climates. Natural and anthropogenic sources of gaseous and particulate emissions are non-uniformly distributed across the basin. Medium or long-range transport of these atmospheric constituents occurs not only within the area, but also from three different continents, namely Europe, Africa and Asia. Moreover, as documented in the AR5 and AR4 IPCC reports, Mediterranean is one of the hot-spot areas of the globe being severely threatened by future climate changes, while indications of ongoing warming and drying conditions are increasingly evident.

A better understanding of the complex atmospheric mechanisms contributing to Mediterranean climate change is a necessary step to be taken giving special emphasis on the identification of the role of aerosols and other air pollutants, which are crucial for various processes of the Earth-atmosphere system. Assessments of these key agents with attribution of their changes to anthropogenic and natural sources are of special importance and at the core of this session scope. Studies dealing with this topic and area, based on in-situ surface and airborne measurements or on remotely sensed surface and satellite products, as well as every kind of modeling analyses, are welcome and authors are cordially invited to present their findings and to share and exchange knowledge.