Mineral dust aloft in the atmosphere has a cooling effect not accounted for in current climate models.
clouds
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Kicked-Up Dust Forms Cirrus Clouds
Dust lifted into the air by cyclones provides anchor points for cloud-forming ice.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Examining Aerosol-Cloud-Climate Interactions at a Large Scale
A new numerical setup demonstrates that aerosols could affect clouds, and hence the radiation budget, thousands of kilometers from their location.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists Can Now Map Lightning in 3D
A new approach enables meter-scale localization of lightning strikes. And it’s already illuminating the basic physics of the phenomenon.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
A Theory of Squall Lines
About 50 years ago, vorticity thinking helped unveil basic properties of squall lines. Zhang now provides a closed theory, demystifying one of nature’s most important forms of convective organization.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
If There Is Phosphine on Venus, There Isn’t Much
New observations of the Venusian atmosphere collected from an airborne observatory showed no sign of the potential biosignature gas, casting additional doubt on a previous report of its detection.
Posted inNews
Salt Spray May Stifle Lightning over the Sea
New research suggests that sea-salt aerosols seed large raindrops that starve clouds of water needed to make lightning. But not all scientists are convinced it’s simply about salt spray.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Fantastic Ice-Nucleating Particles and How to Find Them
Recent advances in measurements and models are paving the way to transform fundamental understanding and simulation of ice-nucleating particles and their climate impacts.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
New Cloud and Precipitation Data Over the Southern Ocean
New measurements show the macro- and microphysical characteristics of the clouds and precipitation over the data-space regions of the Southern Ocean.
Posted inNews
Tracking Climate Through Ship Exhaust
International regulations have reduced aerosol pollutants released from ships. Now, researchers want to use ship tracks to better understand the ambiguous effects that cleaner air has on climate.