Aerosols in the atmosphere may cause tropical thunderstorms to be more severe
Shane McGlaun - Jan 1, 2021, 5:33am CST
Researchers at MIT have been conducting observations of Earth’s atmosphere, looking at aerosols created by natural sources and human activities. According to the results of their observations, thunderstorms are often stronger in the presence of high concentrations of aerosols, which are airborne particles too small to see with the naked eye. The team found that lightning flashes are more frequent along shipping routes where freighters often more emit particles into the air compared to the surrounding ocean.
More intense thunderstorms were also found in the tropics over land where aerosols are elevated by natural sources like forest fires and human-made pollution. The link between aerosols and thunderstorms had been observed for decades, but what caused that link was a mystery. That mystery has now been solved.