Research on clouds and the atmosphere. Covers Southern Ocean clouds, ocean-derived aerosols, sea-ice cloud formation, and dust after impacts.
The study reveals changes in Earth's reflectance over the past two decades, with a sharp decline in albedo from 1995-2001 and subsequent brightening. These variations are comparable to those in infrared radiation observed in the tropics, influencing the Earth's radiation budget.
Researchers from NJIT and Caltech combined NASA cloud data with earthshine records to analyze Earth's reflectance and global cloud cover. The study suggests that Earth's average albedo varies considerably from year to year and decade to decade.
Research suggests that global warming could result in a dryer and dimmer world as aerosol particles reflect sunlight, reducing the amount of radiation reaching the Earth's surface. This leads to weaker turbulent heat fluxes, resulting in reduced evaporation and precipitation.
Researchers use a NASA WB-57 research jet to examine icy cirrus clouds, aiming to understand their warming and cooling effects on Earth's climate. The Middle Latitude Cirrus Experiment gathers detailed information to improve computer simulations of future climate change.
Research papers in Geophysical Research Letters and Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres have shed light on various atmospheric phenomena. Brown et al.'s study found near-equal rates of nitric acid formation during day and night, while Chatfield et al. attribute seasonal ozone density over the South Atlantic to pollution sources...
Researchers discovered that increased cirrus cloud cover over the US could account for nearly all of the warming observed in the country since 1975. The study suggests that contrails, formed by air traffic, contribute to this warming effect.
Heavy smoke from the Amazon River basin causes significant reduction in cloud cover, leading to increased surface warming and altered climate. This study reveals a new mechanism of aerosol-driven global climate change, challenging current models.
Researchers found that smoke from forest fires delays cloud release, preventing moderate rain and causing thunderstorms instead. High-altitude clouds produce large hailstones on the Amazon rainforest floor.
A NASA study suggests that warming temperatures will lead to more warm rain, which accounts for 31% of global rainfall. The increase in precipitation efficiency could make the air lighter and rise faster, creating updrafts producing more cold rain.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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%.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.