Get the latest tech news

Microplastics Could Be Making the Weather Worse

Microplastics cause clouds to form in places where they wouldn't otherwise, which is likely to have knock-on effects on the weather and climate.

Clouds are important parts of Earth’s complex weather system, with effects on precipitation, temperature and climate. Many cloud tops in nontropical zones around the world extend high enough into the atmosphere that cold air causes some of their moisture to freeze. For freezing to occur at warmer temperatures, some kind of material that won’t dissolve in water needs to be present in the droplet.

Get the Android app