Weatherwatch: pollution can make clouds drier

New findings contrast with some climate models that indicate aerosols make clouds ‘wetter’What’s in a cloud? Water, certainly, but also tiny particles known as “aerosols”. Whether they originate from wildfires, volcanoes, sandstorms, ship emissions or power stations, aerosols alter the properties of a cloud. By providing a surface for water to condense on to, they can help water droplets to form. But exactly how aerosols alter clouds is not clear. Now a new satellite study is helping scientists to see inside a cloud. Continue reading...