Biological enhancement of cloud droplet concentrations observed off East Antarctica
Abstract The impact that biogenic emissions have on aerosol-cloud interactions across the Southern Ocean is poorly quantified. Here we use satellite and ship observations during austral summer to study these interactions. We present observational evidence that biogenic aerosols increase cloud condensation nuclei and cloud droplet number concentrations over the Southern Ocean off East Antarctica, coinciding with very low concentrations of ice-nucleating particles and higher occurrences of supercooled liquid-containing low-level clouds.
Authors
- Ian M. McRobert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2130-257X)
- Luke T. Cravigan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2636-928X)
- Sally Taylor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0192-1947)
- Alastair G. Williams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0568-8487)
- Paul Selleck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8395-0559)
- Gerald G. Mace (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7338-7726)
- Branka Miljevic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4408-2047)
- Sonya Fiddes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2752-0845)
- Marc Mallet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2749-8833)
- Alain Protat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8933-874X)
- Greg M. McFarquhar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0950-0135)
- Chiemeriwo Godday Osuagwu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9531-9898)
- Ruhi S. Humphries (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4864-5321)
- James Harnwell
- Zoran Ristovski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6066-6638)
- Kathryn A. Moore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9242-5422)
- Scott D. Chambers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2521-959X)
- Melita Keywood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9953-6806)
- Paul J. DeMott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3719-1889)
- Caleb Mynard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8789-2681)
- Simon P. Alexander (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6823-8857)
- Jason Ward
Institutions
- Bureau of Meteorology (AU)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- University of Tasmania (AU)
- Australian Antarctic Division (AU)
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (AU)
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (US)
- University of Utah (US)
- Australian National Fish Collection (AU)
- Monash University (AU)
- University of Oklahoma (US)
- Colorado State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
- Published
- 2025-03-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-025-00990-5
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 11.71
Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration