PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Do you want to freeze a cloud? Desert dust might help

ETH Zurich researchers uncover a subtle force in cloud formation

2025-07-31
(Press-News.org) In brief:

Using 35 years of satellite data, researchers observed a consistent pattern for ice cloud formation stemming from desert dust in the atmosphere. The way clouds freeze is vital piece of the puzzle for climate models. For the first time, researchers demonstrate that ice formation follows the same pattern at different scales expanding the scope of this type of research. A new study shows that natural dust particles, swirling in from faraway deserts can trigger freezing of clouds in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. This subtle mechanism influences how much sunlight clouds reflect and how they produce rain and snow — with major implications for climate projections.

Drawing on 35 years of satellite observations, an international research team led by ETH Zurich found that mineral dust—tiny particles swept up by the wind and carried into the upper atmosphere—can trigger the freezing of cloud droplets. This process is particularly important in northern regions, where clouds often form in a temperature range just below freezing.

“We found that where there’s more dust, clouds are much more likely to freeze at the top,” explains Diego Villanueva, a Post-doctoral researcher for Atmospheric Physics at ETH Zurich and lead author of the study. “This has a direct impact on how much sunlight is reflected back into space and how much precipitation is generated.”

Dust turns clouds to ice The researchers focused on mixed-phase clouds, which contain both supercooled water and ice, forming between −39 °C and zero °C. These clouds are common in mid- and high-latitudes, especially over the North Atlantic, Siberia, and Canada. They are known to be extremely sensitive to changes in their environment—particularly to the presence of ice-nucleating particles which stem primarily from desert dust aerosols.

By comparing the frequency of ice-topped clouds with dust levels, the researchers observed a remarkably consistent pattern: The more dust and the cooler the clouds, the more frequent the ice clouds. What is more, according to the researchers, this pattern aligned almost perfectly with what laboratory experiments had predicted about how dust triggers droplet freezing.

“This is one of the first studies to show that satellite measurements of cloud composition match what we’ve known from lab work,” says Ulrike Lohmann, senior co-author, and Professor of Atmospheric Physics at ETH Zurich.

A new benchmark for climate models The way clouds freeze directly affects how much sunlight they bounce back into space and how much water they release as precipitation. These factors are vital for climate models, but until now, many of these models lacked a solid reference point for how cloud freezing really works on a global scale.

The new findings establish a measurable link between airborne dust and cloud-top ice frequency, providing a critical benchmark for improving climate projections. “It helps identify one of the most uncertain pieces of the climate puzzle,” says Villanueva.

A complex picture – with a clear signal For decades, atmospheric scientists have studied droplet freezing at the microscale. This study shows, for the first time, that cloud ice formation (or glaciation) follows the same behaviour as droplet freezing—but on a much larger scale. This finding expands the scope of atmospheric research in this area - from nanometre-scale structures of dust surfaces that form atmospheric ice crystals to kilometre-scale cloud systems in which ice formation can be observed from space.

Still, the dust–ice link does not play out equally across the globe. In desert regions like the Sahara, cloud formation is sparse, and the strong movement of hotter air may suppress the freezing process. Also in the Southern Hemisphere, marine aerosols may take over dust’s role. The researcher team emphasizes the need for further studies to better understand how other factors such as updraft strength or atmospheric humidity, for example, influence cloud freezing. For now, however, one thing is clear: Tiny dust grains from distant deserts help shape the clouds above our heads—and with them, the future of our climate.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Nanodevice uses sound to sculpt light, paving the way for better displays and imaging

2025-07-31
Light can behave in very unexpected ways when you squeeze it into small spaces. In a new paper in the journal Science, Mark Brongersma, a professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University, and doctoral candidate Skyler Selvin describe the novel way they have used sound to manipulate light that has been confined to gaps only a few nanometers across – allowing the researchers exquisite control over the color and intensity of light mechanically. The findings could have broad implications in fields ranging from computer and virtual reality displays to 3D holographic imagery, optical communications, ...

Twinkle, twinkle leopard seal: songs below the ice flow like nursery rhymes

2025-07-31
In a study published today, UNSW Sydney researchers found that the underwater songs of leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) in Antarctica share structural similarities with the nursery rhymes often sung by humans to their young. “Leopard seal songs have a surprisingly structured temporal pattern,” says Lucinda Chambers, a UNSW PhD candidate and lead author of the study. “When we compared their songs to other studies of vocal animals and of human music, we found their information entropy — a measure of how predictable or random ...

Potato evolved from tomato 9 million years ago

2025-07-31
An international research team has uncovered that natural interbreeding in the wild between tomato plants and potato-like species from South America about 9 million years ago gave rise to the modern-day potato.  In a study publishing in the Cell Press journal Cell, researchers suggest this ancient evolutionary event triggered the formation of the tuber, the enlarged underground structure that stores nutrients found in plants like potatoes, yams, and taros.  “Our findings show how a hybridization event between species can spark the evolution of new traits, allowing even more ...

MIT researchers show how the brain distinguishes 'things' from 'stuff'

2025-07-31
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Imagine a ball bouncing down a flight of stairs. Now think about a cascade of water flowing down those same stairs. The ball and the water behave very differently, and it turns out that your brain has different regions for processing visual information about each type of physical matter. In a new study, MIT neuroscientists have identified parts of the brain’s visual cortex that respond preferentially when you look at “things” — that is, rigid or deformable objects like a bouncing ball. Other brain regions are more activated when looking at “stuff” — liquids or granular ...

Impact of the MISSION act on quality and outcomes of major cardiovascular procedures among veterans

2025-07-31
About The Study: The U.S. Congress enacted the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act with the goal of improving veterans’ access to health care services. This study found that MISSION Act implementation was associated with substantial decreases in travel times among veterans who became geographically eligible for non-Veterans Affairs care. For these patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting, MISSION Act implementation was also associated with worsened 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events ...

Not all low-grade prostate cancers are low risk

2025-07-31
A new study reveals that some men who are diagnosed with “Grade Group one” (GG1) prostate cancer may actually be at higher risk than biopsy results suggest, according to research led by Weill Cornell Medicine, University Hospitals Cleveland and Case Western University. The researchers conclude that relying on biopsy grade alone can lead to underestimating disease risk and misclassifying individuals who may benefit from definitive treatment with either surgery or radiation. Biopsies test only small areas of the prostate, so ...

GLP-1 RAs and risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in older patients with diabetes

2025-07-31
About The Study: This study of Medicare enrollees age 65 or older with type 2 diabetes found an association between semaglutide use and an increased risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. There was risk variation among the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs); semaglutide and liraglutide were associated with higher risks.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kin Wah Fung, MD, email kfung@mail.nih.gov. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2025.2299) Editor’s ...

The clinical practice guideline update on adult sinusitis emphasizes patient education, shared decision-making, and evidence-based treatment options

2025-07-31
ALEXANDRIA, VA —The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) published the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG): Adult Sinusitis Update today in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. The purpose of this multidisciplinary guideline is to identify quality improvement opportunities in managing adult sinusitis and to provide explicit and actionable guidance that can be implemented across all clinical practices. "With sinusitis affecting about one in eight adults in the United States each year, this CPG update empowers both patients and their healthcare providers with ...

Big data begins to crack the cold case of endometriosis

2025-07-31
Big Data Begins to Crack the Cold Case of Endometriosis Records from millions of patients at UC health centers found correlations between endometriosis, one of the most common diseases in women, and a bounty of other diseases.  Scientists at UCSF have found that endometriosis — a painful chronic disease affecting 10% of women that often goes undiagnosed — often occurs alongside conditions like cancer, Crohn's disease, and migraine. The research could improve how endometriosis is diagnosed and, ultimately, how it is treated; and it paints the sharpest portrait yet of a condition that is ...

This artificial sweetener could make cancer treatment less effective

2025-07-31
Sucralose is a popular sugar substitute for people who are cutting calories or managing blood sugar levels, but new research by the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center suggests that the artificial sweetener may not be the best choice for patients undergoing cancer immunotherapy. Publishing today in Cancer Discovery, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, the study found that patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer who consumed high levels of sucralose had worse ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Announcing XPRIZE Healthspan as Tier 5 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Announcing Immortal Dragons as Tier 4 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Reporting guideline for chatbot health advice studies

Announcing Mitra Bio as Tier 3 Sponsor of ARDD 2025

Study identifies global upswing in photosynthesis driven by land, offset by oceans

Study reports final clinical trial data for advanced kidney cancer treatment

Antibiotic resistant bacteria found in malnourished children under five years old

Study: Most US homes can save money and affordably weather blackouts with solar plus storage

The human touch of doctors will still be needed in the AI healthcare revolution, technology expert suggests

Helping me, inhibiting you: Analysis of interactions between intestinal microbiota

Hearing loss lowers prospects of employment and higher income for young Americans

Dramatically lower temperature, same high performance!

Trigger warnings fall flat, but safe spaces build trust in the classroom

Searching for a lethal needle in a haystack: synthetic opioid 1000 times more potent than morphine

Smart wound monitor poised to improve chronic infection care

Study reveals spinning could reduce NHS waiting lists for physiotherapy treatments

New AI tool illuminates “dark side” of the human genome

CCNY team discovers potential chemo-induced cognitive changes in cancer survivors

New mRNA-based therapy that shows promise in heart regeneration after heart attack

Extremists use gaming platforms to recruit - study

Nearly 70% of U.S. children in car crashes with a fatality were not using proper child passenger restraints, study finds

Understanding what makes some bladder cancers resistant to chemotherapy

Protecting your beating heart

The key to lowering your water bill may already be at your door

Saliva testing may reveal early signs of diabetes and obesity

4D images show heat shield damage goes below the surface

Hibernator “superpowers” may lie hidden in human DNA

Changes in diet drove physical evolution in early humans

Experts call for science- and evidence-based AI policy

Challenges in governing rapidly emerging marine-climate interventions

[Press-News.org] Do you want to freeze a cloud? Desert dust might help
ETH Zurich researchers uncover a subtle force in cloud formation