Clouds shield pollutants going out to sea
Scientists found a significant link between clouds and pollution transport in the Asian-Pacific region. Clouds mask pollutants from spacecraft sensors, leading to underestimated pollution levels.
Clouds
Articles tagged with Clouds
Puzzling height of polar clouds revealed
Researchers found that polar mesospheric clouds at the South Pole are on average 2 miles higher than those in the North, attributed to increased solar radiation. The clouds have brightened by 15% over the last twenty years, indicating a cooling of the mesosphere and potentially linked to long-term global climate change.
ICESat's lasers measure ice, clouds and land elevations
ICESat is providing new insights into polar ice sheets and their mass-balance. The satellite detects features such as ice streams, cloud heights and aerosol distributions, enabling a better understanding of the Earth's climate.
African dust brings drought, rain across Atlantic
Research finds African dust particles act as kernels for precipitation in low clouds, but suppress rainfall in high clouds. The study also suggests a link between increased dust levels and drought conditions.
Purdue software promises better animation for movies, games
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a software that can create realistic animations of clouds and other gaseous phenomena. The interactive system allows artists to control the animation in real-time, making it ideal for applications such as movie special effects and video games.
Study finds space shuttle exhaust creates night-shining clouds
Scientists found that space shuttle exhaust can transport water vapor to the Arctic mesosphere, forming noctilucent clouds. The study used data from a launch vehicle instrument and confirmed the plume trajectory with ground-based observations.
Hurricane winds carried ocean salt & plankton far inland
A research paper analyzed ice crystals from Hurricane Nora's cirrus clouds, revealing the presence of sea salt and plankton. The study found that hurricane winds transported marine life particles to high altitudes, affecting ice crystal growth and shape.
Clouds mitigate effects of warming on arctic
Researchers found that Arctic clouds and climate conditions produce a cooling effect, possibly offsetting global warming's effects. Cloud forcing, which depends on interactions among climate factors, played a crucial role in this process.
NCAR observing system finds high-level moisture with global implications
Researchers have detected layers of high-level moisture and cirrus clouds using NCAR's instrument package, indicating a significant impact on long-term climate. These clouds, often missed by standard weather balloons and sensors, can warm the planet and trap radiation.
Lightning really does strike more than twice
A NASA study found that lightning strikes in multiple locations, with 35% of recorded flashes striking the ground in two or more places. On average, each cloud-to-ground flash struck the ground in 1.45 separate places, increasing the risk of being struck by 45%.
New thinking needed on atmospheric physics, study suggests
Researchers collected sprite data during a balloon campaign to study the electromagnetic signature of lightning strokes that produce sprites. The results indicate that negative cloud to ground strokes produce sprite halos seven times more often than positive strokes, suggesting an energy imbalance in the mesosphere.
Study finds thicker storm clouds over warmer tropical waters, affect climate
Researchers found thicker, denser storm clouds over warmer waters, covering wider areas of the tropics and releasing more moisture as rain. This contradicts the 'Adaptive Iris' theory, which suggests cloud cover decreases with rising ocean temperatures.
Jet contrails alter average daily temperature range
A study by Penn State researchers found that jet contrails altered the average daily temperature range in the United States during a three-day commercial air shutdown in September 2001. The diurnal temperature range increased by 1.8 degrees Celsius, with daytime temperatures being higher and nighttime temperatures lower without contrails.
Cosmic rays linked to global warming
A new study suggests that cosmic rays could be the cause of global warming, proposing a height-dependent effect on cloudiness. The research proposes that increased cosmic ray intensity during periods of decreased solar wind may contribute to global cooling by stimulating the formation of dense clouds.
Weather in outer space?
Researchers Katharina Lodders and her team found evidence of complex chemistry in brown dwarf atmospheres, including the formation of liquid iron clouds. The study revealed that as brown dwarfs cool, certain compounds reappear in their atmospheres.
New research site established in Australia to help predict climate change
The Darwin Site, established in 2002, is the fifth ARM site and first with an international partner. It features state-of-the-art instruments to measure cloud properties and atmospheric conditions, contributing to more accurate climate models. The research aims to improve predictions of global warming and climate change.
Study of cloud ice crystals may improve climate change forecasts
Scientists will investigate high, tropical cirrus clouds in Florida to reduce uncertainties in forecasts of the Earth's future climate. The Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers - Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL-FACE) aims to improve large-scale measurements of clouds using aircraft and satellite data.
Houston called 'lightning capital of Texas'
A recent study reveals that Houston gets more lightning than surrounding areas, with a higher frequency of cloud-to-ground flashes in the summer months. The city's unique combination of urban heat island effects and air pollution may be responsible for this increased activity.
NASA satellite confirms urban heat islands increase rainfall around cities
A NASA study found that urban heat islands create more summer rain over and downwind of major cities worldwide. The increased heat promotes rising air and alters weather patterns, leading to higher rainfall rates in urban areas.
A warm polar winter was easier on Arctic
Research found that a warm polar winter made it easier for ozone to accumulate in the Arctic stratosphere, as warmer air prevented the formation of polar stratospheric clouds. This prevented the breakdown of ozone molecules, leading to higher levels of ozone in the lower stratosphere.
Astronomers find Jupiter-like weather on brown dwarfs
Brown dwarfs have long been observed to appear brighter as they cool, but scientists couldn't explain the phenomenon until now. Using a model that takes into account cloudy storm patterns, researchers have found that atmospheric weather on brown dwarfs can cause them to brighten, similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
Thunderstorms are affected by pollution
Aerosols from pollution particles reduce ice crystal sizes in thunderstorms, leading to less precipitation over land. Aerosol levels are highest over Northern Africa, with smaller ice crystals found in clouds above the eastern Pacific and southern Indian Oceans.
Future volcanic eruptions may cause ozone hole over Arctic
A 'volcanic ozone hole' is likely to occur over the Arctic within the next 30 years due to high volcanic activity coinciding with cold winters. This could lead to a significant increase in springtime ozone loss over the Arctic, threatening more populated areas.
Atmospheric aerosols found to brighten clouds
Scientists have combined satellite measurements with model calculations to demonstrate that atmospheric aerosols increase cloud brightness, leading to greater reflection of sunlight and potential cooling of the climate. This effect should be accounted for in assessing global climate change.
Pinatubo volcano research boosts case for human-caused global warming
The Pinatubo eruption validated computer-generated climate models demonstrating human-caused global warming. The sulfuric acid cloud altered winds and weather patterns, causing cooler summers and warmer winters worldwide.
Fewer clouds found in tropics NASA scientists discover new evidence of climate change
Scientists observed less cloud cover blocking incoming radiation and trapping outgoing heat in the tropics. This led to more sunlight entering and heat escaping, contradicting current climate models' predictions.
NASA satellite instrument warms up global cooling theory
Scientists tested the Iris effect using CERES instrument on TRMM satellite, finding clouds slightly destabilize climate instead of cooling it. The study challenges recent theory proposing clouds cool the Earth and counteract predictions of global warming.
TRMM continues to provide diverse insights into climate processes on its fourth anniversary
The TRMM satellite is continuing to collect data on various climate and weather questions, including the formation of snowflakes and raindrops inside clouds. Microscopic dust and soot particles are found to interfere with rain formation in 'dirty' clouds.
Mountain cloud forests imperiled by lowland deforestation, says Science study
A new study suggests that lowland deforestation may be robbing mountain cloud forests of critical cloud cover, threatening their survival. Breaking up deforested land into a mosaic of uses can help restore cloud formation.
Hi-tech weather watchers on worldstage
The new radar technology can measure wind speed, direction and turbulence, and can be used to predict weather patterns. It has been commercialized by Atrad and is being used in various applications, including flight trials of a supersonic transport aircraft and weather forecasting in the UK.
Dust from Africa leads to large toxic algae blooms in Gulf of Mexico, study finds
A new study found that Saharan dust clouds traveling thousands of miles can lead to massive toxic algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico. The research used satellite and ground-based measurements to track dust clouds, which increased iron concentrations by 300% and triggered a huge bloom of toxic red algae.
Greater solar activity may bring US more gray days
A new study suggests that increased solar activity can lead to an increase in cloud cover over the United States, particularly during times of high solar maximum. The jet stream plays a crucial role in linking solar variability with cloudiness, precipitation, and storm formation in the US.
Colorado State Researcher hopes mathematicians can help solve problems that water causes in mathematical models of atmosphere
Water vapor and clouds cause difficulties in atmospheric models due to their lumpy nature and turbulent motion, making it a 'messy problem' for modeling. Researchers aim to develop new approaches to represent these phenomena in numerical form.
Rain showers may be caused by vortices in the air
Dutch researchers use calculations to show that tubular-shaped vortices can form within areas of air turbulence, causing water droplets to congregate at the edge and leading to rain precipitation. This discovery contradicts previous assumptions about cloud formation and supersaturation.
Spirits of another sort
Researchers at NASA and the University of Alaska have discovered mysterious bursts of colored light in thunderstorms, known as sprites. These brief, fleeting phenomena contain a great deal of energy, which may be sufficient to drive novel chemical reactions, potentially impacting the Earth's protective ozone layer.
An Explanation For Flowing, Liquid Water On Ancient Mars
Researchers propose that reflective carbon dioxide ice clouds on ancient Mars retained thermal radiation near the surface, warming it enough for liquid water to exist. This mechanism provides clues about potential life forms on Mars and extends the habitable zone on extrasolar planets.
Do Jet Contrails Add Up To A Cloudy Climate Forecast?
Contrails can indeed influence regional climate due to their potential to increase cloud cover, which can disrupt the radiation balance and affect climate. The study suggests that contrails may be more significant than previously thought due to their ability to modify energy distribution and feed other cloud formation processes.
Eruption Spotted By Satellite
A graduate student's daily satellite inspection spotted the eruption, providing an early warning system. The discovery also triggered a computerized ash-plume tracking model to forecast the ash cloud's movement and issue alerts to airlines.