Pure water only freezes at around minus 38 degrees Celsius. Tiny mineral dust particles act as so‑called ice nucleators—crystallization seeds on which ice crystals form. A research team at Bielefeld University and the University of Vienna in cooperation with researchers from Helsinki University has now demonstrated for the first time, at the molecular scale, why the mineral microcline is particularly effective at forming ice in clouds. Published in a renowned scientific journal, the study provides a new explanation for processes that influence climate and precipitation worldwide.

In a paper published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, a team of researchers conducted a series of CESM2 ensemble simulations under SSP2-4.5 to examine the impact of marine cloud brightening (MCB) on terrestrial drought. By injecting sea salt aerosols over certain subtropical ocean regions, they found that MCB could produce about 0.9°C global cooling and mitigate global land drying trend via reduced potential evapotranspiration by 2100 relative to that of SSP2-4.5. However, regional differences in drought response to MCB are evident, indicating the underlying complexity of terrestrial hydrological responses to artificial climate intervention. It sheds new light on the potential and risks of solar geoengineering for drought mitigation.

A new study published in National Science Review reveals the dual effects of urban greenery on compound heat-ozone pollution risks across Northern Hemisphere cities. While urban greening is widely promoted as a nature-based method to cool overheated cities, complex interactions between urban meteorology and atmospheric chemistry can create important trade-offs for ozone control. The findings call for integrated urban greening strategies that jointly enhance climate resilience, air quality, and public health.

A recent study published in National Science Review, based on Chang'e-6 (CE6) farside samples, has shown that the lunar mantle lacks a clear compositional dichotomy. The farside anorthositic crust is more magnesian, whereas late-stage products of the lunar magma ocean appear thinner on the farside. To reconcile these hemispheric variations spanning from the mantle to the crust, a coherent model of lateral thermal convection within the magma ocean of the tidally-locked Moon has been proposed.