Arctic balloon samples trace marine sugars from the ocean to cloud-forming heights
Salt and sugar from the sea can rise as far as the free troposphere, thereby influencing both cloud formation and the Arctic climate. This is the finding of balloon measurements carried out by a team of researchers on Spitsbergen in autumn 2021 and spring 2022.
Arctic balloon samples have revealed that marine sugars from the ocean can rise as high as the free troposphere, influencing cloud formation and the Arctic climate. This discovery was made by researchers from TROPOS and other institutions during balloon measurements conducted in autumn 2021 and spring 2022 on Spitsbergen. As the Arctic becomes increasingly ice-free, more of these cloud-forming ingredients from seawater could enter the atmosphere and impact the radiation budget.
The study, led by TROPOS and part of the German Research Foundation's Transregios 172 program, provides crucial insights into the complex interactions driving above-average warming in the Arctic.
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