NASA Satellites Illuminate Pollution's Influence on Clouds, Climate

Dr. Jiang and his colleagues used sensors from multiple satellites in the Afternoon Constellation, more commonly called the A-Train, to find that South American clouds infused with airborne pollution – classified as "polluted clouds" – tend to produce less rain than their "clean" counterparts during the region's dry season. Details of the findings are presented today at the American Geophysical Union's 2008 Joint Assembly in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.