Researchers unveil effects of dust particles on cloud properties
Monday, March 25, 2019 - 11:10
in Earth & Climate
An international team led by Japanese scientists has generated significant findings that highlight the impact of high-latitude dust on the conversion of water droplets in clouds into ice—or glaciation—within low-level clouds in the Arctic region. These results contribute to a better understanding of factors at the land surface and how they affect cloud formations. The research findings also add to a better understanding of how climate is affected by clouds, which are increasingly considered to be among the most important, yet most complex, regulators of the global climate. Depending on the conditions, clouds either enhance warming or cool the climate by trapping heat or reflecting sunlight back into space, respectively.