Clouds formation are highly sensitive to aerosols change

A new study published in Nature Geoscience reveals that clouds are more sensitive to aerosol changes than previously thought.

Observations from ACTRIS stations in Svalbard and Finland provided long-term data to better understand how aerosols influence cloud properties. The findings indicate that fine particle emissions from human activities have contributed to climate cooling by altering cloud characteristics, partially offsetting the warming caused by greenhouse gases. Notably, this cooling effect appears to be at the higher end of earlier satellite-based estimates.

The study also evaluated the accuracy of climate models in representing the relationship between cloud properties and aerosol concentrations. Researchers identified discrepancies between model simulations and real-world observations, pointing to flaws in how key processes are depicted. Enhancing these models is essential for reliable climate change predictions and for assessing the effects of different emission scenarios.

Virtanen, A., Joutsensaari, J., Kokkola, H. et al. High sensitivity of cloud formation to aerosol changes. Nat. Geosci. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01662-y