A hidden mechanism continuously forms new aerosol particles from gaseous precursors in the Amazon rainforest, challenging previous assumptions about the sources of cloud condensation nuclei and their role in the hydrological cycle and climate.
Thunderstorms regularly reshape weather over the Amazon. Using high-frequency data from the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory, researchers cataloged 410 storms (Aug 2021–Dec 2023) and found they strike about every other day, mostly from midafternoon to evening and April–September. The forest canopy mutes most gusts below it, while above-canopy airflow matches textbook storm patterns—insights that improve models of energy, aerosol, and greenhouse gas exchanges for better weather and climate predictions.
New study highlights Amazon’s critical role in the Earth’s climate system, revealing that land-use changes and accelerating deforestation reduce biogenic trace gas emissions and impact atmospheric chemistry up to 12 km altitude.
Luciane Reis and her colleagues now performed a new study at the ATTO site that shows that gust fronts can also cause large jumps in carbon dioxide concentrations. But what are the sources of this carbon-dioxide-rich air?
Scientists measured carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere of the Amazon rainforest with the adopted instrumentation to separate aldehydes and ketones. They made some unexpected discoveries, showing studying the variety of carbonyl compounds separately is extremely worthwhile.
