News Release 11-096
Clouds, a Weapon Against Climate Change?
University of Georgia researchers define a missing link in how clouds are formed
May 11, 2011
View a video with Dr. William Whitman of the University of Georgia.
This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.
Some clouds cool the earth. But how are these clouds formed? How does the chemistry of the ocean affect their formation? Is this process affected by climate change? Can humans affect cloud formation to increase the cooling effect of clouds, having positive implications for the health of the planet?
Microbiologist William Whitman and marine scientist Mary Ann Moran of the University of Georgia think these are timely questions. They are coauthors of a paper that will appear in the May 12 issue of the scientific journal Nature. The research covered in this news release was funded primarily by the National Science Foundation's Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, along with the Division of Ocean Sciences.
Whitman and Moran's team of researchers discovered key bacterial genes that influence sulfur gas flux from seawater, with important implications for understanding the role of ocean bacteria in cloud formation. "We are now better able to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the process and the implications for cloud manipulation, which has been proposed as a means to mitigate global warming," said Whitman.
Read more at the University of Georgia news service.
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View Video
William Whitman of the University of Georgia describes his discovery on cloud formation.
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Media Contacts
Lisa-Joy Zgorski, NSF, (703) 292-8311, email: lzgorski@nsf.gov
Terry Marie Hasting, University of Georgia, (706) 542-5941, email: thasting@uga.edu
Program Contacts
Matthew D. Kane, NSF, (703) 292-7186, email: mkane@nsf.gov
Related Websites
Cloud's: The Wild Card of Climate Change, an NSF Special Report: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/clouds/
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