Clouds, a weapon against climate change?
Some clouds cool the earth. But how are these clouds formed? How does the chemistry of the ocean affect their formation? Is this process affected by climate change? Can humans affect cloud formation to increase the cooling effect of clouds, having positive implications for the health of the planet?
Microbiologist William Whitman and marine scientist Mary Ann Moran of the University of Georgia think these are timely questions. They are coauthors of a paper that will appear in the May 12 issue of the scientific journal Nature. The National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences funds the research.
Whitman and Moran's team of researchers discovered key bacterial genes that influence sulfur gas flux from seawater, with important implications for understanding the role of ocean bacteria in cloud formation. “We are now better able to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the process and the implications for cloud manipulation, which has been proposed as a means to mitigate global warming,” said Whitman.
Read more at the University of Georgia news service.
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.nsf.govAll latest news from the category: Life Sciences and Chemistry
Articles and reports from the Life Sciences and chemistry area deal with applied and basic research into modern biology, chemistry and human medicine.
Valuable information can be found on a range of life sciences fields including bacteriology, biochemistry, bionics, bioinformatics, biophysics, biotechnology, genetics, geobotany, human biology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology, zoology, bioinorganic chemistry, microchemistry and environmental chemistry.
Newest articles
Why getting in touch with our ‘gerbil brain’ could help machines listen better
Macquarie University researchers have debunked a 75-year-old theory about how humans determine where sounds are coming from, and it could unlock the secret to creating a next generation of more…
Attosecond core-level spectroscopy reveals real-time molecular dynamics
Chemical reactions are complex mechanisms. Many different dynamical processes are involved, affecting both the electrons and the nucleus of the present atoms. Very often the strongly coupled electron and nuclear…
Free-forming organelles help plants adapt to climate change
Scientists uncover how plants “see” shades of light, temperature. Plants’ ability to sense light and temperature, and their ability to adapt to climate change, hinges on free-forming structures in their…
