CLIMATE SCIENCE

The seminal issue of this century

The single greatest uncertainty in climate and weather models is the indirect effects of aerosol. We now know that the mineralogy of aerosol is crucial: potassium feldspar (Kfs) plays the dominant role, by modulating the microphysics of clouds by nucleating ice, changing brightness, and seeding rain.

The largest barrier to the research that will reduce these uncertainties is the severe lack of mineralogical data.