Summary A Revelation About Trees Is Messing With Climate Calculations | WIRED www.wired.com
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One Line
The influence of trees on cloud formation is more significant than previously thought, which has implications for climate calculations and necessitates the inclusion of natural aerosols in models.
Slides
Slide Presentation (6 slides)
Key Points
- Trees release vapors called sesquiterpenes that can spark cloud formation.
- Clouds are the largest source of uncertainty in climate predictions.
- Sesquiterpenes emitted by trees are more effective than expected for seeding clouds.
- Trees' role in seeding clouds suggests what the sky might be like with less pollution.
- Understanding how trees make clouds can help refine climate models.
Summaries
19 word summary
Trees' impact on cloud formation is greater than previously believed, affecting climate calculations. Models must account for natural aerosols.
59 word summary
Scientists have discovered that trees have a significant impact on cloud formation, affecting climate calculations. Research at CERN showed that chemicals released by trees, called sesquiterpenes, are more effective at seeding clouds than previously thought. This suggests trees play a larger role in cloud formation. Climate models need to account for the contributions of natural aerosols and improve accuracy.
150 word summary
Scientists have found that trees have a significant impact on cloud formation, which affects climate calculations and predictions. Clouds can either reflect sunlight and cool the Earth or trap heat and contribute to global warming. Researchers at CERN conducted experiments to study the effect of tree emissions on cloud formation and discovered that a class of chemicals called sesquiterpenes, released by trees, are more effective at seeding clouds than previously believed. This suggests that trees may play a larger role in cloud formation than previously thought. These findings have implications for climate models, as estimates of aerosol populations and radiative forcing may need to be reevaluated. Incorporating the physics of tree aerosols into climate models is challenging, but further research is needed to understand the interactions between anthropogenic and tree emissions. Overall, this research highlights the need for improved climate models that accurately account for the contributions of natural aerosols.
404 word summary
Scientists have discovered that trees play a significant role in cloud formation, which has implications for climate calculations and predictions. Clouds are a major source of uncertainty in climate models, as they can either reflect sunlight and cool the Earth or trap heat and contribute to global warming. Understanding the factors that influence cloud formation, including the release of vapors by trees, is crucial for accurate climate modeling.
Researchers at CERN conducted experiments in a chamber to mimic the atmosphere above forests and study the impact of tree emissions on cloud formation. They found that a class of chemicals called sesquiterpenes, released by trees, were more effective than expected in seeding clouds. Even a small ratio of sesquiterpenes to other volatiles doubled cloud formation. This discovery suggests that trees may have a larger role in cloud formation than previously thought.
The findings have important implications for climate models. If trees play a significant role in cloud formation, then estimates of aerosol populations and radiative forcing (the ability of clouds to reflect sunlight) may need to be reevaluated. Climate models often overestimate the contribution of anthropogenic aerosols, while underestimating the prevalence of natural aerosols released by trees and other sources.
By quantifying how trees contribute to cloud formation, scientists hope to improve climate predictions and understand the effects of human activities on the climate. This research could help refine estimates of the atmosphere before industrialization and provide insights into the future impact of reducing sulfur emissions. It also highlights the complex feedback loop between climate and cloud formation, as factors like heat stress and deforestation can affect the release of volatile compounds by trees and subsequently influence cloud formation.
However, incorporating the physics of tree aerosols into climate models is challenging due to the computational demands and the complexity of interactions between different emissions sources. Further research is needed to understand how anthropogenic emissions interact with tree emissions and to broaden conclusions to regions with mixed emissions.
In conclusion, the discovery that trees play a significant role in cloud formation has important implications for climate calculations and predictions. The release of sesquiterpenes by trees can double cloud formation, suggesting that trees may have a larger influence on aerosol populations and radiative forcing than previously thought. This research provides insights into the complex interactions between climate and cloud formation and highlights the need for improved climate models to accurately account for the contributions of natural aerosols.