Invisible Influencers: Why Aerosols Are Key to Forecasting Climate in Real-Time

As humanity grapples with increasingly unpredictable weather and intensifying climate extremes, scientists are calling for not only reliable long-term climate projections but also timely and accurate short-term forecasts—a practice now referred to as climate “nowcasting”. A crucial yet often underestimated player in this endeavor is aerosols—tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere, originating from both human activities such as industrial pollution and wildfires, and natural sources like desert dust and sea spray.