6533b857fe1ef96bd12b4e8c

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Substantial convection and precipitation enhancements by ultrafine aerosol particles

Yan YangDaniel RosenfeldZhanqing LiZhanqing LiYuwei ZhangYuwei ZhangJian WangPaulo ArtaxoWenhua GaoLuiz A. T. MachadoJennifer M. ComstockRodrigo Augusto Ferreira De SouzaChristopher PöhlkerHelber Barros GomesRamon Campos BragaScot T. MartinZhe FengFan MeiScott E. GiangrandeMira L. PöhlkerUlrich PöschlUlrich PöschlJiwen FanHenrique M. J. Barbosa

subject

PollutionConvectionSupersaturationMultidisciplinary010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciencesmedia_common.quotation_subjectCondensation010502 geochemistry & geophysicsAtmospheric sciences01 natural sciencesAerosolTroposphereCloud dropletPrecipitation0105 earth and related environmental sciencesmedia_common

description

Up with ultrafine aerosol particles Ultrafine aerosol particles (smaller than 50 nanometers in diameter) have been thought to be too small to affect cloud formation. Fan et al. show that this is not the case. They studied the effect of urban pollution transported into the otherwise nearly pristine atmosphere of the Amazon. Condensational growth of water droplets around the tiny particles releases latent heat, thereby intensifying atmospheric convection. Thus, anthropogenic ultrafine aerosol particles may exert a more important influence on cloud formation processes than previously believed. Science , this issue p. 411

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2018-01-26
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6374/411.abstract