Dissolved organic matter in the oceans absorbs light near the water’s surface, leading to cooler waters that may help mitigate regional climate warming.
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Posted inResearch Spotlights
How to Build a Better Light Trap
Nanosized chambers capture bits of light for infinite amounts of time.
Posted inNews
Exact Moonlight Measurements Could Aid Earth-Observing Missions
A new telescope’s unprecedented study of subtle variations in lunar light could finally give Earth-facing satellites a common reference point for their observations.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
On-the-Ground Measurements Overestimate Earth’s Albedo
Weather stations can be used to calibrate and validate albedo measurements from satellites, but they fail to account for variability across landscapes, overestimating how reflective our planet is.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Autonomous Floats Shed New Light on the Ocean’s Many Hues
Argo float data reveal regional deviations from existing models of the relationship between ocean color and biogeochemistry.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Sun Glitter Provides a Detailed Map of Ocean Waves
European scientists use satellite sensors to detect light reflected off waves at the ocean's surface, which could help improve wave forecasts.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Tiny Creatures Form Massive, Bright Ring Around Antarctica
Dense algae populations in the Great Calcite Belt could cause carbon dioxide release from the ocean into the atmosphere.
Posted inNews
A Date Under the Stars? Maybe Not with Aerosol Injection
Injecting aerosols into the atmosphere on purpose could help cool Earth, but new research shows that it could also make the night sky brighter and negatively affect human health.
Posted inNews
Faster-Merging Snow Crystals Speed Greenland Ice Sheet Melting
Satellite data and modeling reveal a trend toward coarser-grained, more-light-absorbent snow.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Aerosols Make Cumulus Clouds Brighter but Shorter Lived
Computer simulations show that although adding aerosol particles to clouds can make them more reflective, the cooling effect from clouds is largely counterbalanced by a reduction in overall cloud cover.