everything atmospheric 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.

Editors' Highlights

Limits of Satellite Detection of Extreme Carbon Cycle Events

by Xi Zhang 7 October 20267 October 2026

Satellite carbon dioxide observations detect more carbon-cycle extremes than ground stations but still miss many events and underestimate their magnitude.

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.

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.

Editors' Highlights

Dust and Marine Halogens Team Up to Destroy Tropospheric Ozone

by Vaishali Naik 17 September 202617 September 2026

Mineral dust-activated halogen chemistry is an important yet under-studied natural sink of the tropospheric ozone with implications for the Earth’s oxidative balance, crop yields, and human health.

A red and white windsock blows in the wind against a blue sky with white clouds.

Research Spotlights

Wind Works: The Atmosphere’s Invisible Energetic Tug-of-War

by Rebecca Dzombak 17 September 202617 September 2026

Two basic atmospheric factors can explain the weak and, at times, contrasting trends in global wind energy dissipation under climate change.

A series of buildings, including several structures that appear to be smokestacks, are silhouetted against a brown sky. Dark clouds are stretched above the buildings.

Research Spotlights

Volatile Organic Compounds Have Been Underestimated in the Carbon Cycle

by Rebecca Dzombak 16 September 202616 September 2026

Better tracking of these reactive compounds is essential for understanding how the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere interact.

Rows of small puffy clouds under a bright blue sky are seen from an aircraft above.

Features

The Effects of Polar Night and Day on Arctic Air Masses

by Manfred Wendisch, Matthew D. Shupe, Susanne Crewell, Felix Ament and Gunilla Svensson 16 September 202616 September 2026

Cold air outbreaks and warm air intrusions link Arctic and midlatitude weather and climate. But a lack of data on these events, especially in winter, limits our understanding.