Solid aerosols found in Arctic atmosphere could impact cloud formation and climate umich PNASNews
Working with fellow aerosol scientist Andrew Ault, Kirpes discovered that ammonium sulfate particles, which should have been liquid, were actually solid. The team's results are published in theSolid aerosols can change how clouds form in the Arctic. And, as the Arctic loses ice, researchers expect to see more of these unique particles formed from oceanic emissions combined with ammonia from birds, which will impact cloud formation and climate.
The aerosols observed in the study were up to 400 nanometers, or about 300 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Ault, associate professor of chemistry, says that aerosols in the Arctic are typically assumed to be liquid. "But what we saw is a pretty new phenomenon where a small particle collides with our droplets when it's below 80% humidity, but above 40% humidity. Essentially, this provides a surface for the aerosol to solidify and become a solid at a higher relative"These particles were much more like a marble than a droplet.
"It's our job to keep helping modelers refine their models," Ault said."It's not that the models are wrong, but they always need more new information as events on the ground change, and what we saw was something completely unexpected."
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