All articles tagged with #ice nucleation
An international team found common soil fungi secrete stable, water-soluble proteins that can nucleate ice at around -2°C, acting as cell-free ice makers. This could provide a natural, non-toxic alternative for cloud seeding, enable improved frozen-food and medical preservation, and help climate models by better accounting for ice formation in clouds.
A 35-year satellite study finds mineral dust from deserts seeds ice formation in cloud tops across the Northern Hemisphere, increasing ice in mixed-phase clouds and altering both sunlight reflection and precipitation. This link between desert dust and cloud freezing could help refine climate projections, though regional variability exists and further research is needed on factors like updraft strength and humidity.
New research demonstrates that dust significantly influences cloud freezing, with satellite data showing regions with more dust have more ice-topped clouds, which could impact climate models by affecting how clouds reflect sunlight and trap heat.
Satellites have revealed that volcanic ash can trigger the formation of high-altitude cirrus clouds by acting as nuclei for ice crystals, a discovery that enhances understanding of how eruptions influence Earth's climate and cloud dynamics.
A recent study suggests that microplastics in the atmosphere can influence cloud formation by acting as nuclei for ice crystals, potentially affecting weather and climate. These particles can cause ice to form at warmer temperatures than usual, which may increase precipitation. The study highlights the need for further research to understand the concentration and impact of microplastics compared to other particles like mineral dust and biological materials in cloud formation.
Researchers have developed a theoretical model that explains how specific structural details on surfaces can influence water's freezing point, clarifying why water freezes at a range of temperatures. The model considers factors that encourage ice crystal formation, such as surface-water binding strength and angles between structural features. This model could aid in designing materials for more efficient ice formation, potentially impacting snow or ice makers, cloud seeding, and weather modeling.