A previously unknown natural mechanism behind cloud formation over the oceans has been uncovered through a study published in the leading scientific journal Nature, with a significant contribution from researchers at The Cyprus Institute. The findings improve scientists’ understanding of climate processes and are expected to enhance the accuracy of climate change projections. The study was presented at a press conference held at The Cyprus Institute, in Nicosia, on Friday.
The study highlights the key role of methanesulfonic acid (MSA), a compound produced from emissions released by marine microorganisms. Researchers found that MSA, together with sulfuric acid and ammonia, can lead to the formation of new atmospheric particles that act as cloud condensation nuclei, enabling cloud formation over the oceans.
According to the researchers, these clouds reflect incoming solar radiation over the oceans, acting as a natural “umbrella” that helps mitigate the impacts of climate change.
“Today is an important day for Cyprus and an important day for The Cyprus Institute, as we announce a major discovery in the field of climate change,” said Stavros Malas, President of The Cyprus Institute.
“This discovery not only highlights the importance of The Cyprus Institute as a regional centre of excellence in this field, but also demonstrates that investment in research, particularly in centres of excellence, has paid off by elevating the quality of scientific work being carried out in our country,” he added.
Malas said the discovery further establishes The Cyprus Institute “as a leading institution in the region that is making a meaningful contribution to research addressing the regional challenge of climate change.”
Associate Professor Dr Theodoros Christoudias of The Cyprus Institute presented the study, which was published in Nature and resulted from the Institute’s participation in the international CERN CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) collaboration.
“Researchers from The Cyprus Institute played a substantial role and made a significant contribution to both the study and its publication,” he said.
“The mechanism we identified involves emissions from microorganisms found in marine environments and the oceans, namely phytoplankton,” Christoudias said.
He explained that these emissions are oxidised in the atmosphere and, together with chemical compounds already known to scientists, lead to the formation of new atmospheric particles.
“The new chemical compound whose contribution we identified is called methanesulfonic acid, or MSA,” he said.
“MSA, together with sulfuric acid and ammonia, can form tiny particles in the atmosphere,” he added.
“This was previously unknown. Although scientists had suspected it for decades, we lacked the evidence to prove it and, more importantly, we did not know the rate at which the process occurs, preventing us from incorporating it into our models and understanding its contribution to climate change,” Christoudias said.
He went on to explain that these tiny particles subsequently act as cloud condensation nuclei, allowing water vapour to condense into droplets that eventually form clouds.
“Clouds play an important role over the oceans by helping cool the Earth’s climate because they reflect incoming solar radiation. Clouds are white, while the ocean surface beneath them is dark, so they act like an umbrella, reducing the impacts of climate change,” he said.
Christoudias noted that scientists had long been concerned because sulfuric acid and ammonia are produced to a large extent by human activities.
“Since fossil fuels will inevitably be phased out and emissions from combustion will decline, there was concern that lower atmospheric concentrations of these compounds could result in fewer clouds, accelerating climate change and global warming,” he said.
“By identifying this natural process, we can now predict with greater confidence and accuracy what will happen in the future as society moves away from fossil fuels, allowing us to better prepare for the impacts of climate change,” he added.
Climate change is particularly significant for Cyprus, Christoudias said, noting that the Eastern Mediterranean is warming at twice the global average rate.
Dr Rima Baalbaki, researcher at the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) of The Cyprus Institute and first author of the study, said the findings indicate that the oceans influence cloud formation far more than previously estimated.
“Understanding this mechanism allows us to better understand how the Earth’s climate system functions, improve the accuracy of climate projections and more reliably assess the role of human activities in climate change,” she said.
