• Nacreous clouds appear around the Arctic Circle

    Sky watchers are observing an outbreak of polar stratospheric clouds or PSCs around the Arctic Circle, SpaceWeather reports. Unlike normal grey-white clouds, which hug Earth's surface at altitudes of only 5 to 10 km (3.1 – 6.2 miles), PSCs float through the…

  • Red alert for smog pollution issued in Beijing, China

    A red alert for smog pollution was issued for in Beijing, China on December 8, 2015. The warning was put in effect in order to "protect public health and reduce levels of heavy air pollution", according to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection…

  • The 2015 ozone hole over Antarctic larger than usual and late

    The annual Antarctic ozone hole was larger than usual this year and formed later than in recent years, according to the scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The ozone hole reached its maximum on October 2, 2015,…

  • Large dust storm clouds Phoenix, Arizona

    A large dust storm swept the US Arizona's capital of Phoenix on October 16, 2015, media reports. The cloud system was hovering about 1 500 m (4 921 feet) above the ground, packing winds of 100 km/h (62 mph) and was followed by a strong thunderstorm. Video…

  • A sharp decline in concentration of ozone destroying HCFC-133a gas reported

    A new study lead by Martin Vollmer of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology has found that after a rapid increase in anthropogenic compound named HCFC-133a (CF3CH2Cl), an ozone destroying gas, the atmospheric abundance and emissions…

  • Manmade aerosols significantly affecting South Asian summer monsoon winds

    A new study conducted by a team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) shows the South Asian summer monsoon wind complex has changed considerably, due to the presence of manmade aerosols in atmosphere. A widespread burning of firewood,…