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[Narrator] Aerosols are suspended throughout Earth’s atmosphere,

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and the tiny, varied particles play a mysterious role

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in human induced climate change.

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Just like people, every aerosol particle is unique.

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Sometimes aerosols occur naturally, from things like volcanoes,

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but they can also originate from human activity.

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Aerosols are short-lived, but have an active lifetime!

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In just a short expanse of time, particles can change their size

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and composition and even travel across vast oceans.

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Aerosols are difficult to study, and one important new area of research

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involves how these particles impact clouds.

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Without aerosols, clouds could not exist.

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[Michael Mishchenko] An aerosol particle can serve as a cloud condensation nucleus.

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[Narrator] The introduction of too many aerosols will modify a cloud’s natural properties.

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[Michael Mishchenko] The more aerosol particles we have in the atmosphere,

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the more cloud droplets we can have.

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[Narrator] Clouds play an important role in regulating Earth’s climate;

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aerosol-rich clouds become bigger, brighter, and longer lasting.

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Aerosols impact clouds in other ways.

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Some aerosol particles primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the atmosphere,

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and others absorb radiation, which warms the air.

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When aerosols heat the atmosphere, they create an environment where clouds can’t thrive.

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The suppression of clouds leads to further warming of the atmosphere by solar radiation.

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Researchers are still working to understand the role of these curious particles.

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[Michael Mishchenko] We need to study the distribution of particles globally,

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and the only way to do that is from satellites.

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[Narrator] New tools will soon help scientists study aerosols.

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The Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor, or APS, is among a suite of instruments

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onboard NASA’s upcoming Glory mission.

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The APS will provide a global dataset of aerosol distribution

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with unprecedented accuracy and specificity.

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Unique data from the Glory mission, along with NASA’s fleet of Earth observing satellites,

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will help researchers investigate the intricacies of Earth’s changing climate.