New research suggests the world's oceans could have an influence on clouds that moderate temperature.
A team of scientists looked at a process in which marine bacteria consume phytoplankton and found it can have an effect on cloud properties, the University of California, San Diego. When these phytoplankton decay, they produce molecules that are either released into the atmosphere or eaten up by bacteria. The organic molecules that reach the atmosphere join with dust and other small particles such as aerosols, creating the drops of moisture that form clouds.
"It is exciting to finally be able to find a connection between microbes in seawater and atmospheric sea spray," said Kimberly Prather, a distinguished chair in atmospheric chemistry with appointments at Scripps and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego. "These chemical changes ultimately affect the reflectivity of marine clouds and thus could have profound impacts on climate over a large portion of the planet."
The findings were based on data from the National Science Foundation-funded Investigation into Marine PArticle Chemistry and Transfer Science (IMPACTS) study. The research showed that when phytoplankton are broken down by bacteria, they can release a number of insoluble fat-like compounds that get aerosolized when waves break.
In the IMPACTS study, the researchers looked at sea spray in a controlled ocean-atmosphere environment, revealing which components are transferred to the atmosphere. They found variations in the microbes in each bloom influenced the concentration of less water-soluble molecules in the waves. When bubbles in the waves burst, the molecules were hurled into the atmosphere.
The study provides insight into how complex interactions between ocean microbes, influence the ability of sea spray aerosols to form clouds. These key insights could help researchers create more accurate climate models in the future.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal ACS Central Science.
