aerosols & particles Archives

Haze hovers in the distance over an undeveloped, arid-looking landscape as seen from an aircraft. Above, long, thin white clouds stretch across a bright blue sky.

Life in the Skies Links Ecosystems Near and Far. It Deserves More Attention.

by Allison C. Aiken, Sonia Kreidenweis and Kathleen C. Weathers 8 October 20268 October 2026

Our understanding of Earth’s biology and its responses to environmental change is limited by an incomplete picture of the planet’s dynamic aerobiome.

A satellite image shows a brown and green landmass with peninsulas and bays meeting a teal and blue body of water, with both partially overlain by a grayish haze.

Research Spotlights

Scientists Zero In on Tiny Particles to Improve Weather and Air Quality Forecasts

by Sarah Stanley 2 October 20262 October 2026

A new method for handling satellite aerosol observations boosts simulation accuracy, with potential benefits for weather and climate forecasting.

A huge plume of smoke being emitted from a wildfire on a prairie.

Editors' Vox

Where Fire Ends, Chemistry Begins

by Eleni Dovrou 30 September 202630 September 2026

Once smoke is generated, chemical reactions reshape its gaseous and particulate constituents, altering what travels downwind and what people, ecosystems, and the climate are exposed to.

Hazy clouds hover low above a large forest expanse in this blue-hued photo. In the distance, a temple sits atop a hill in the forest.

Features

Chemical Conversations Between Forests and the Sky Affect Air Quality, Clouds, and More

by Dennis Clark 18 September 202618 September 2026

Trees release invisible gases that can create clouds, trap heat, and worsen pollution. Scientists are busy trying to unravel forests’ complex atmospheric contributions in a changing climate.

An airplane flies in front of a gray cloud.

News

Stratospheric Aerosol Injection Might Make Flights Smoother

by Hannah Richter 22 July 202622 July 2026

A new study suggests an intervention aimed at cooling the planet could have the additional benefit of reducing aircraft turbulence.

Research Spotlights

火箭发射与重返大气层过程如何损害地球臭氧层

by Sarah Stanley 13 July 202613 July 2026

固体燃料，也就是NASA近期用于将宇航员送往月球的燃料，似乎是对臭氧层破坏性最大的一种燃料。

A tire is half submerged in a pool of water on a coastline. Tree trunks or wood pieces are also poking out of the sand in the background.

News

What Tires Leave Behind Can Become Toxic Fish Food

by Rebecca Owen 17 June 20261 July 2026

Tire particles might seem tasty, if you’re a fish—but a new study shows how this pervasive microplastic can affect growth and behavior in marine species.

This image shows a rocket launching into a blue sky from its launchpad. A bright white and orange tail is emitted from the bottom of the rocket, transitioning into cloudlike billows of gas closer to the ground. A body of still water is in the midground, and grasses and shrubs are in the foreground.

Research Spotlights

Rocket Launches and Reentries Harm Earth’s Ozone Layer

by Sarah Stanley 8 June 202613 July 2026

Solid-state fuels—recently used to help launch astronauts to the Moon for the first time in decades—appear to be the fuel type with the most detrimental effects on the ozone.