科学家发现热带深对流云内存在异常高的水汽过饱和现象，这为微小气溶胶颗粒增强风暴上升气流创造了条件[1]。研究发表于《大气科学进展》期刊，通过航空观测证实了这一效应[1]。在约−5°C温度下，热带对流云中测得的过饱和度约为10%，远高于以往航空研究记录的数据[1]。德克萨斯州和路易斯安那州沿海的ESCAPE航空活动中独立检测到约11%的极端过饱和度[1]。
丹尼尔·罗森菲尔德表示，以往研究观察的是污染或浅层云，这类云通常不会产生气溶胶对流增强所需的高过饱和条件，"如果要看到这一机制的实际作用，需要观察海洋上空的深层洁净云"[1]。该项研究基于2019年在菲律宾及周边热带海洋进行的NASA云、气溶胶和季风过程菲律宾实验数据[1]。
Scientists have identified exceptionally high water vapor supersaturation within tropical deep convective clouds, creating conditions that allow minute aerosol particles to enhance storm updrafts.[1] The research, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences in 2026, reveals that previous studies may have failed to detect this effect due to inappropriate selection of cloud types for observation, while new airborne measurements have confirmed that elevated supersaturation conditions do indeed occur in tropical convective clouds.[1]
Measurements taken in tropical convective clouds recorded supersaturation levels of approximately 10 percent at temperatures around minus 5 degrees Celsius, significantly higher than values documented in earlier airborne research.[1] During independent aerial surveys conducted along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana as part of the ESCAPE airborne campaign, extreme supersaturation of roughly 11 percent was detected.[1] Daniel Rosenfeld explained that previous investigations had observed polluted or shallow clouds, which typically do not generate the high supersaturation conditions necessary for aerosol-driven convective enhancement, and that observing this mechanism in action requires examining deep, clean clouds over the ocean.[1]
The study drew on data collected in 2019 from the NASA Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment conducted in the Philippines and surrounding tropical ocean regions.[1] The research involved collaboration among institutions including the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Atmospheric Physics, NASA, Hebrew University, and Wuhan University.[1]