Warmer Arctic conditions have the potential to lead to an increase in Arctic natural aerosols that can promote ice crystal formation in clouds.
Warmer Arctic conditions have the potential to lead to an increase in Arctic natural aerosols that can promote ice crystal formation in clouds.
Rising temperatures are thought to reduce the number of ice crystals in clouds, leading to the formation of liquid-dominated clouds. However, a new study by researchers from Japan and Norway has found that Arctic warming is causing an increase in the emission of natural aerosols from snow/ice-free barren and vegetated areas in the Arctic. These aerosols can encourage ice crystal formation in mixed-phase clouds, potentially affecting cloud composition and the Arctic climate.
The Arctic frequently experiences temperatures that support the formation of mixed-phase clouds that contain supercooled liquid droplets and ice crystals. The composition of such clouds plays a crucial role in the region's energy balance and climate system. Clouds with more liquid last longer and reflect more sunlight than those with more ice crystals.
With Arctic warming, meteorologists have been interested in determining the effect of rising temperatures on cloud composition and its broader effect on the region. Climate models generally predict that as the Arctic warms, clouds in the region will contain more liquid water and less ice, since warmer temperatures typically suppress the formation of ice crystals. However, cloud formation is also influenced by the presence of aerosols which act as seeds, both for the condensation of liquid droplets and the formation of ice crystals.
Read more at Research Organization of Information and Systems
Image: As surface air temperatures rise above 0°C, snow and ice cover melts, resulting in the appearance of snow/ice-free barren and vegetated areas. These newly exposed surfaces release increased amounts of dust and biological organic aerosols, which have the potential to promote ice crystal formation in clouds. (Credit: Yutaka Tobo from National Institute of Polar Research, Japan)
