Rain breeds more rain over ploughed land

• Autores: Kate Ravilious
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3072, 2016, pág. 10
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • On ploughed fields at least, rain flings up millions of microscopic organic particles--the remains of dead plants and animals. This rainfall-induced haze may help to seed clouds and generate more rain. Currently it is assumed that most airborne particles are lofted up by the wind, sea spray, or human activities such as tilling. Last year, however, scientists showed--by filming artificial rain in the lab--that rainfall could stir up particles from soil. Now, Alexander Laskin from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland WA and colleagues have seen the process in the real world. They used high-resolution microscope techniques to analyze airborne dust collected throughout 2014 above Oklahoma's Southern Great Plains