New Directions: Need for defining the numbers and sources of biological aerosols acting as ice nuclei

摘要

Ice nucleation is one of the most basic processes that leads to precipitation (Barrie et al., 2009). At temperatures warmer than about -36 ℃, ice crystals form in clouds by heterogeneous nucleation involving aerosol particles known as ice nuclei (IN). Ice nuclei provide a potentially strong modulation of Earth's energy budget and hydrological cycle through their influences on cloud microphysical and radiative properties, the release of latent heat in the atmosphere, and impacts on precipitation efficiency.