Untangling the influence of Antarctic and Southern Ocean life on clouds

Polar environments like Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, are rapidly changing. Major gaps in our understanding of how ocean and ice biogeochemical processes are linked with the atmosphere must be closed before these pristine environments experience further change. Recent field campaigns have provided important new insights, but further research is needed to understand the interactions between biology, aerosol, and clouds around the Southern Ocean. A new commentary in Elementa by a cohort of scientists from different countries and disciplines highlights major research priorities and summarises more than 20 field projects planned for the next five years. Integrating new knowledge generated by these projects across disciplines will be the biggest challenge. The authors argue that fostering collaboration between international and interdisciplinary communities will be essential.

Reference: Mallet, M.D., Humphries, R.S., Fiddes, S.L. et al., (2023). Untangling the influence of Antarctic and Southern Ocean life on clouds. Elementa-Sci. Anthrop., 11(1), 00130. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2022.00130