This just in - research on disturbed rain patterns worldwide. Sigh, Steven
New satellite data shows tiny airborne particles are changing rainfall patterns around the world, researchers said Sunday. The man-made particles, mostly from burning fossil fuels, make it more difficult for clouds to form and less likely to rain if they do form, researchers said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Because they block sunlight, these tiny particles slow down evaporation from lakes and oceans, said conference participant Daniel Rosenfeld of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "So they suppress clouds in the first place," he said. What's more, he said, the particles are too small to form the seeds of raindrops, "so the clouds that do form ... have a hard time to rain." The analysis, he said, is based on new data from a joint American-Japanese satellite that uses radar to examine particles in both shallow clouds, near the Earth's surface, and the large, high clouds that contribute most of the rainfall. http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=17022002-040642-4951r Steven McFadden, Director Chiron Communications 7 Avenida Vista Grande #195 Santa Fe, NM 87508 USA http://www.chiron-communications.com
