The Prather Research Group and collaborators have recently published a paper on the cloud nucleating properties of dry lake bed (playa) salts, which has been highlighted by the editor of the Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR), and the American Geophysical Union's EOS Newspaper. The paper by Pratt et al (2010) discusses the first in situ (aircraft-based) observation of dry lake bed salts as cloud nucleating particles. As land use and climatic conditions change, the number and extent of salt playas may increase, perhaps lending to an increased loading of playa salts in the atmosphere. These salts, as observed, can act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), affecting cloud formation in continental regions.
Find the JGR Editor's Highlight here: http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/
AGU members will find a similar article in their weekly EOS newspaper.