Impacts of Cloud Condensation Nuclei on Atlantic Stratus

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The object of this research is the measurement of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) above and below the stratocumulus clouds, which are a persistent feature of the meteorology of the Azores, and an active objective of Atlantic Stratocumulus Transformation Experiment (ASTEX), June 1992. When larger concentrations of CCN are incorporated into stratus clouds the albedo can be altered, often in dramatic ways. Since maritime stratocumulus clouds comprise a non-trivial fraction of total cloudiness off the west coasts of most continents, the contribution to altered albedo, perhaps arising from anthropogenic sources of CCN, could be a significant component in climate change.