Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ACP
Articles | Volume 25, issue 22
Articles | Volume 25, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16401-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16401-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 25, issue 22
ACP Letters
 | Highlight paper
 | 
21 Nov 2025
ACP Letters | Highlight paper |  | 21 Nov 2025

Conflict-induced ship traffic disruptions constrain cloud sensitivity to stricter marine pollution regulations

Michael S. Diamond and Lili F. Boss

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Aerosol particles emitted by ships substantially influence the microphysical properties of marine clouds. In 2020, regulatory changes led to a marked reduction in sulphur emissions, resulting in measurable decreases in cloud droplet concentrations. This study exploits a unique “accidental experiment” triggered by military conflict, which caused a rerouting of shipping traffic in the Red Sea. The authors use this event to robustly quantify how cloud droplet concentrations responded to changes in aerosol emissions associated with the changes in regulations.
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Militia attacks on ships in the Red Sea disrupted container ship traffic in 2024. We use these traffic changes to quantify how the cloud-altering properties of ship pollution decreased following sulfur regulations in 2020 with measurements of two types of ship pollution, one of which is sensitive to fuel composition and another which is not. Near Africa, cloud changes in 2024 were nearly as large as before the regulations, but only one-third as strong after accounting for increased traffic.
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