Aerosol particles play a key role in cooling the planet. They can either directly affect how much sunlight ends up on the surface of the Earth or indirectly through cloud formation, to which they contribute. New particles form from a variety of gas molecules, and these particles form everywhere on the planet.
To understand the circumstances in which these particles are formed, researchers conduct measurements in various environments all over the world. For example, the Finnish flagship station SMEAR II has conducted measurements in the boreal forest for 25 years.
However, the boreal forest is an extremely large area, and much of its contribution to aerosol formation has still not been explored, especially in its Siberian and Canadian parts.
Read more at: University of Helsinki
Large amounts of aerosol particles can be formed over vast areas of the West Siberian taiga in the spring. (Photo Credit: Mostphotos)