Microplastics Promote Cloud Formation, with Likely Effects on Weather and Climate

Clouds in the atmosphere can be made up of liquid water droplets, ice particles or a mixture of the two.
Clouds in the atmosphere can be made up of liquid water droplets, ice particles or a mixture of the two.
Rick Theis/Envato
Share
Clouds in the atmosphere can be made up of liquid water droplets, ice particles or a mixture of the two.
Clouds in the atmosphere can be made up of liquid water droplets, ice particles or a mixture of the two.
Rick Theis/Envato
Microplastics Promote Cloud Formation, with Likely Effects on Weather and Climate
Copy

Clouds form when water vapor – an invisible gas in the atmosphere – sticks to tiny floating particles, such as dust, and turns into liquid water droplets or ice crystals. In a newly published study, we show that microplastic particles can have the same effects, producing ice crystals at temperatures 5 to 10 degrees Celsius (9 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than droplets without microplastics.

This suggests that microplastics in the air may affect weather and climate by producing clouds in conditions where they would not form otherwise.

This story was orginally published by The Conversation. You can read the entire article here.

For more information on microplastics in Rhode Island, read: URI Researchers Say Levels of Microplastics in Narragansett Bay are Concerning.

43-28 vote features opposition from all chamber Republicans, 17 Democrats, 1 independent
The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS merged in May 2024 and now plan to unify under a new name this fall. The Public’s Radio political reporter Ian Donnis spoke about the name change with our CEO, Pam Johnston
Revised proposal would clear the smoke inside Bally’s Rhode Island casinos by 2027
End-of-session request comes as labor, education bills pile up for consideration
With public tours, overnight stays, and a sweeping historical initiative underway, the Rose Island Lighthouse & Fort Hamilton Trust invites visitors to explore a Rhode Island landmark where coastal defense, bird conservation, and Indigenous history converge