Phytoplankton Impact on Marine Cloud Microphysical Properties Over the Northeast Atlantic Ocean.

ABSTRACT: The current understanding of the impact of natural cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) variability on cloud properties in marine air is low, thus contributing to climate prediction uncertainty. By analyzing cloud remote sensing observations (2009-2015) at Mace Head (west coast of Ireland), we show the oceanic biota impact on the microphysical properties of stratiform clouds over the Northeast Atlantic Ocean. During spring to summer (seasons of enhanced oceanic biological activity), clouds typically host a higher number of smaller droplets resulting from increased aerosol number concentration in the CCN relevant-size range. The induced increase in cloud droplet number concentration (+100%) and decrease in their radius (-14%) are comparable in magnitude to that generated by the advection of anth

SUBMITTER: Mansour K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9285769 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature