14 DAY TRIAL // Two research teams have simultaneously and independently arrived at the conclusion that airborne microorganisms can influence Earth's weather, and (to some extent) even its climate.
In presentations made on Monday, May 24, at the American Society for Microbiology meeting in New Orleans, representatives from the two groups explained that microbes and bacteria in the air can be a source of inclement conditions, as well as a source for increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
At this point, it's still too early to tell whether the influence these microorganisms are having is so significant on a global scale. What is certain is that this field of research – atmospheric biology – is really taking off right now.
There are now numerous evidence indicating biological organisms as a factor affecting cloud formation and the amount of GHG in the atmosphere. However, experts warn against jumping to conclusions.
“We still don’t know on a global scale how important these processes are. [However,] within a few years, I think we’re going to have a much better handle on it,” explains Colorado State University atmospheric scientist Anthony Prenni, who wasn't involved in either study.
One of the two research team is based at the Montana State University (MSU) campus in Bozeman, and is led by expert Alexander Michaud. He decided to investigate atmospheric bacteria after a massive hailstorm battered the campus where he works, Science News reports.
“I suddenly realized, no one had really ever thought about studying hailstones – in a layered sense – for biology,” the expert said. His team managed to recover 27 of the hailstones for later analysis.
At the core of the hailstones, experts found high concentrations of microbes, of about 1,000 cells per milliliter of meltwater. But microorganisms were found to permeate the study samples throughout.
The second investigation was conducted by French investigators at the Clermont University in Clermont-Ferrand, who were led by expert Pierre Amato. The group analyzed clouds samples collected from a height of more than 1,500 meters.
One of the primary findings, the team reported at the meeting, were organic pollutants such as formaldehyde, acetate and oxalate. These chemicals are easily broken down by sunlight, and turned into carbon dioxide (CO2), an important GHG.
Interestingly, the presence of microbes in the air made it easier for sunlight to break down these chemicals. More CO2 was produced as a result of microbial communities living at those altitudes.