+ Visit NASA.gov + Advanced Search   + About the Server   + Animation List   + How to Use the Server   + RSS Feeds   + Podcasts   + Opportunities Previous Animation Next Animation Human Induced versus Naturally Occurring Aerosols One critical new area of aerosol research involves how the varied particles impact clouds. Clouds play an important role in regulating Earth's climate, and without aerosols, clouds could not exist. The introduction of a larger number of aerosols will modify cloud's natural properties, leading to clouds that are bigger, brighter, and longer lasting. Two time lapsed scenes with zooms to particle-level conceptual animations help to illustrate this concept. In a pristine environment, like the ocean scene depicted here, naturally occurring salt particles serve as condensation nuclei for water vapor in the atmosphere. The water molecules are drawn to the salt particles like magnets, forming water droplets and eventually creating a cloud. The city scene reveals how an increase in the number of aerosols modifies the properties of a naturally formed cloud. The large influx of soot particles increases the number of centers of attraction for the water molecules, and the water droplets become smaller in size but greater in number.    This animation juxtaposes ocean clouds and city clouds. Both zoom to the particle-detail level to show the difference in aerosol particle number and back out to show that clouds over oceans are taller and darker than those over cities. Duration: 1.4 minutes Available formats:   1280x720 (30 fps) Frames (Splitscreen Timelapse)   1280x720 (30 fps) QT         271 MB   320x180     PNG           146 KB   160x80       PNG           47 KB   80x40         PNG           15 KB How to play our movies    Black soot aerosols are emitted by cities and form clouds. The footage is a time lapse of clouds over Baltimore. Duration: 1.4 minutes Available formats:   1280x720 (30 fps) Frames (City Timelapse)   1280x720 (30 fps) QT         263 MB   320x180     PNG           175 KB   160x80       PNG           53 KB   80x40         PNG           16 KB How to play our movies    Salt particles act much like the black soot carbon aerosols in the previous animation to form clouds. Duration: 1.4 minutes Available formats:   1280x720 (30 fps) Frames (Ocean Timelapse)   1280x720 (30 fps) QT         242 MB   320x180     PNG           231 KB   160x80       PNG           60 KB   80x40         PNG           15 KB How to play our movies    Hi-res still of Baltimore, MD skyline. Available formats:   4500 x 3000     TIFF 38 MB   320 x 213         PNG     336 KB    Hi-res still of Baltimore, MD skyline. Available formats:   4500 x 3300     TIFF 42 MB   320 x 234         PNG     364 KB    Hi-res still of beach. Available formats:   5335 x 3000     TIFF 45 MB   320 x 179         PNG     268 KB Animation Number: 10388 Completed: 2009-02-19 Animator: Megan Willy (UMBC) (Lead) Producer: Maria Frostic (UMBC) Scientist: Michael Mischenko (NASA/GISS) Videographer: Megan Willy (UMBC) Goddard TV Tape: G2008-047 -- Glory Resource Reel Keywords: SVS >> Aerosols SVS >> Climate SVS >> Clouds SVS >> Global Warming SVS >> HDTV SVS >> Ocean SVS >> Pollution SVS >> Climate Change SVS >> Glory More Information on this topic available at: http://glory.gsfc.nasa.gov     Please give credit for this item to NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Back to Top + Privacy Policy and Important Notices + Reproduction Guidelines NASA Official: Content Contact: Curator: