Wildfires create airborne plumes of organic and inorganic matter as they burn. These particles can nucleate cloud-forming ice crystals and affect cloud dynamics, precipitation, and climate.
aerosols & particles
Posted inScience Updates
Advances in Satellite Data for Wildfire Smoke Forecasting
Observations from the newest geostationary Earth-observing satellites are offering valuable views of fire progression and smoke plume development and helping simulate impacts from large wildfires.
Posted inNews
Dust on the Wind
A new study confirms that an important wind system is shifting due to climate change.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Evaluating Environmental Predictors of Western U.S. Wildfires
A new analysis highlights the importance of carefully selecting the environmental variables used to drive future changes in wildfire burn area in climate models.
Posted inNews
The Influence of Tidal Forces Extends to the Arctic’s Deep Sea
The Moon’s gravitational pull creates the tides, but its influence extends hundreds of meters below the sea surface too, influencing sensitive methane seeps in the seabed.
Posted inNews
Wildfires May Exacerbate Asthma in the Western United States
A new study predicts that by the 2050s, wildfire smoke will cause the region to spend $850 million more every year to treat asthma.
Posted inNews
Dust from Receding Glaciers May Have Major Atmospheric Impacts
New research is helping scientists understand how Arctic dust created by receding glaciers affects local air quality and global climate.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Comparing Impacts of CO2 and Particle Emission Reductions
Black carbon contained in airborne particles is often cited as a major factor warming the climate, but how much can California reduce climate change through reducing airborne particle concentrations?
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Zero-valent Iron in the Oxidizing Atmosphere?
A comparative study of urban, semi-urban, and rural sites reveals that the species of atmospheric iron varies depending on location.
Posted inNews
Pollution over the Tibetan Plateau Linked to Sea Ice Loss in the Arctic
New research suggests an atmospheric connection between Arctic sea ice melt and anthropogenic aerosol pollution over the Tibetan Plateau.