Do You Want to Freeze a Cloud? Desert Dust Might Help

Do you want to freeze a cloud? Desert dust might help

Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Aug 05, 2025 A new study shows that natural dust particles, swirling in from faraway deserts can trigger freezing of clouds in Earth's Northern Hemisphere. This subtle mechanism influences how much sunlight clouds reflect and how they produce rain and snow - with major implications for climate projections. Drawing on 35 years of satellite observations, an international research team led by ETH Zurich f

Do you want to freeze a cloud? Desert dust might help - Scientific Inquirer

A new study shows that natural dust particles, swirling in from faraway deserts can trigger freezing of clouds in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. This subtle mechanism influences how much sunlight clouds reflect and how they produce rain and snow — with major implications for climate projections. Drawing on 35 years of satellite observations, an international research team led by ETH Zurich found that mineral dust—tiny particles swept up by the win…

The Sahara Desert is triggering ice clouds in the Northern Hemisphere

A tiny particle of dust, lifted from a faraway desert, can travel thousands of miles on the wind. You would never see it. You would never feel it. Yet, new research shows this invisible traveler has a powerful job. It can reach high into the atmosphere and tell a cloud to freeze. This simple act changes the cloud’s brightness. It changes how it produces rain and snow. This subtle dance between dust and clouds has major effects on our weather and…

Desert dust triggers clouds to freeze, study finds

Wind carrying dust from the Sahara Desert can enable ice clouds to form. Image: Diego Villenueva Ortiz / ETH Zurich Mechanism is vital in influencing how much sunlight clouds reflect – and whether or not they produce rain or snow By Victoria Heath Thousands of kilometres above us, clouds are quietly forming. From fluffy, cotton-wool cumulonimbus clouds to wispy cirrocumulus clouds, there are many types found in skies across the world. Enjoying t…