“Mind Boggling” Mars Mystery As Oxygen Doesn’t Behave by Known Chemistry
For the first time in the history of space exploration, scientists have measured the seasonal changes in the gases that fill the air directly above…
Atmospheric Science
Ice Formation in Clouds Created by Air Turbulence
Scientists from Leipzig measure an important sub-process of the water cycle. Vertical air motions increase ice formation in mixed-phase clouds. This correlation was predicted theoretically…
Climate Emergency Declared by Scientists – Risk of “Untold Human Suffering”
A global coalition of scientists led by William J. Ripple and Christopher Wolf of Oregon State University says “untold human suffering” is unavoidable without deep…
150 Top International Scientists Warn of Devastating Impact of Nitrogen Pollution
We must wake up to devastating impact of nitrogen, say scientists. Dozens of international experts write open letter to UN Secretary-General. More than 150 top…
Aerosols Have a Major Impact on Our Climate, but Greenhouse Gases Get Most Attention
Greenhouse gases may get more attention, but aerosols — from car exhaust to volcanic eruptions — also have a major impact on the Earth’s climate….
Global Airborne Mission Finds Tiny Particles Lead to Brighter Clouds in the Tropics
Global airborne mission finds a particle formation is brightening clouds. When clouds loft tropical air masses higher in the atmosphere, that air can carry up…
Lakes Worldwide Are Experiencing More Severe Algal Blooms – Costing of Billions of Dollars per Year
Climate Change Is Likely Hampering Recovery Efforts The intensity of summer algal blooms has increased over the past three decades, according to a first-ever global…
Researchers Warn: Extraordinarily Warm Temperatures Above Antarctica Cause Hot and Dry Extremes in Australia
Changes in springtime winds high above the South Pole are set to trigger higher than usual temperatures and fire-prone weather conditions in Australia, an international…
An Ultrafast Glimpse of the Photochemistry of the Atmosphere With Help From Reaction Nanoscopy
Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich have explored the initial consequences of the interaction of light with molecules on the surface of nanoscopic aerosols. The…
“Encouraging News” – China Is on Track to Meet Its Ultra-Low Emissions Goals for 2020
Polluting emissions from Chinese thermal power plants declined significantly between 2014 and 2017, according to research involving the University College London. The reductions are important…
Princeton Experts: Controlling Methane Is a Fast and Critical Way to Slow Global Warming
In independent studies, two Princeton University research teams recently identified surprisingly large sources of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, being leaked into the atmosphere. Pound…
Weathering Antarctic Storms and the Importance of Weather Balloon Data
Observational data from radiosondes deployed in Antarctica improve the forecasting accuracy for severe Antarctic cyclones, according to a Japanese research team led by the Kitami…
NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder Captures Movement of Polar Vortex
The U.S. Midwest has been gripped by the lowest temperatures it has seen in years. An unusually cold Arctic air mass, called a polar vortex,…
NASA Scientists Observe Electric Blue Clouds in the Mesosphere
On the cusp of our atmosphere live a thin group of seasonal electric blue clouds. Forming 50 miles above the poles in summer, these clouds…
Could Alien Civilizations Help Predict the Fate of Our Planet?
In the face of climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss, creating a sustainable version of civilization is one of humanity’s most urgent tasks. But when…
NASA’s Worldview Puts 20 Years of Earth Data at Your Fingertips
Powerful Earth-observing instruments aboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites, launched in 1999 and 2002, respectively, have observed nearly two decades of planetary change. Now, for…
CubeSat Captures First Global Picture of Small Frozen Particles Inside Clouds
Looking at Earth from the International Space Station, astronauts see big, white clouds spreading across the planet. They cannot distinguish a gray rain cloud from…
Key Parker Solar Probe Sensor Bests Sun Simulator, Set for Summer Launch
You don’t get to swim in the sun’s atmosphere unless you can prove you belong there. And the Parker Solar Probe’s Faraday cup, a key…
