Tiny particles bubbling up from the tops of melting sea ice into the Arctic sky may be a key, understudied element of cloud formation in that climate-sensitive region. Researchers from Colorado State University have published findings in Geophysical Research Letters that highlight how these airborne “ice-nucleating particles” from biological sources, such as bacteria, provide a platform […]
A study released Tuesday by a team of scientists from Harvard University found that airborne radiation levels downwind of U.S. fracking sites are significantly elevated compared to background levels, providing further evidence that the drilling practice poses a threat to public health as well as the climate. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study detected the largest […]
Photo: This is a 2009 phytoplankton bloom in the Bering Sea. Cloud seed bacteria may feed on phytoplankton. CREDIT: NASA, Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center WASHINGTON – New research finds Arctic Ocean currents and storms are moving bacteria from ocean algae blooms into the atmosphere where the particles help clouds […]
A volcano is like a stream. It might sound like a Zen proverb, but it’s a useful comparison for University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute graduate student Julia Gestrich. Scientists can use stream flow to understand volcano ash plumes, Gestrich explained while presenting her research at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C., […]