Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ACP
Articles | Volume 25, issue 11
Articles | Volume 25, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5387-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5387-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 25, issue 11
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
02 Jun 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 02 Jun 2025

Quantified ice-nucleating ability of AgI-containing seeding particles in natural clouds

Anna J. Miller, Christopher Fuchs, Fabiola Ramelli, Huiying Zhang, Nadja Omanovic, Robert Spirig, Claudia Marcolli, Zamin A. Kanji, Ulrike Lohmann, and Jan Henneberger

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Editorial statement
The paper presents the first quantification of the freezing behaviour of siver iodide (AgI) containg seed particles derived from glaciogenic cloud seeding experiments in the real atmosphere. The study uses a unique approach by releasing the seeding particles from an unmanned airborne vehicle in supercooled low stratus clouds and measuring the formed ice crystals by a tethered balloon placed downwind. Based on their unique observation data the authors propose a novel freezing mechanism based on the hygroscopic growth of the particles in to solution droplets, subsequent freezing of droplets and further growth of ice crystals while ruling out competing freezing mechanisms like contact freezing.
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Short summary
We analyzed the ability of silver iodide particles (a commonly used cloud-seeding agent) to form ice crystals in naturally occurring liquid clouds at −5 to −8 °C and found that only ≈ 0.1 %−1 % of particles nucleate ice, with a negative dependence on temperature. By contextualizing our results with previous laboratory studies, we help to bridge the gap between laboratory and field experiments, which also helps to inform future cloud-seeding projects.
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