Calcite-containing dust particles blow into the air and combine with nitric acid in polluted air from factories to form an entirely new particle-calcium nitrate. These nitrates have optical and chemical properties that are completely different from
those
of the original dry dust particles. Due to this, climate models need to be updated to reflect this chemistry. Calcite dust is common in arid areas such as Israel, where this past winter scientists collected particles for analysis.Working from a mountaintop, the team collected dust that had blown from the northern shores of gypt, !inai, and southern Israel. The particles had combined with air containing pollutant that came from Cairo. They analy"ed nearly #,$$$ individual particles and observed the physical and chemical changes at the W.% Wiley nvironmental &olecular !ciences 'aboratory.(n important change in the properties of the newly formed nitrate particles is that they absorb water and
retain
moisture. These particles can scatter and absorb sunlight-presenting climate modelers, who need to know where the energy is going, a new
wild card
to deal with. )ther studies of dust samples from the !ahara ad the !audi (rabian coast and loess form China show that the higher the calcium in the mineral, the more reactive they are with nitric acid. In fact, once the particle is changed, it stays that way.
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