Cloud composition cliffhanger at point reyes national seashore
Friday, June 3, 2011 - 09:30
in Astronomy & Space
Turns out, polluted air from San Francisco is not the culprit. It's a thermal trough pushing north from Arizona. In a surprise result, scientists found that this weather pattern significantly affects the chemistry of fog and clouds over Point Reyes National Seashore. Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington State University, the University of Colorado, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found very high amounts of ammonia and organic material in aerosol particles and cloud droplets during a large-scale weather pattern originating in Arizona. Their results also show the interactions between these small airborne particles and the cloud water chemistry during clear and foggy conditions.