Secondary Marine Aerosol Plays a Dominant Role over Primary Sea Spray Aerosol in Cloud Formation.

ABSTRACT: Marine aerosols play a critical role in impacting our climate by seeding clouds over the oceans. Despite decades of research, key questions remain regarding how ocean biological activity changes the composition and cloud-forming ability of marine aerosols. This uncertainty largely stems from an inability to independently determine the cloud-forming potential of primary versus secondary marine aerosols in complex marine environments. Here, we present results from a unique 6-day mesocosm experiment where we isolated and studied the cloud-forming potential of primary and secondary marine aerosols over the course of a phytoplankton bloom. The results from this controlled laboratory approach can finally explain the long-observed changes in the hygroscopic properties of marine aerosols observed

SUBMITTER: Mayer KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7760463 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature