A Natural Experiment in the Sky: Shipping, Clouds, and Climate

Cleaner ship fuel created a climate experiment. Meteorologist Dr. Michael Diamond explains how shipping emissions influence cloud formation above the ocean and how the IMO sulfur cap changed that signal. Combined with disruptions to major shipping routes, the policy gave researchers a rare natural experiment for studying aerosols, clouds, and climate. The results also inform current questions about marine cloud brightening without turning past pollution into an argument for deployment.

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Episode Guests: Dr. Michael Diamond

Find Dr. Diamond’s published article on the impacts of the IOM regulation and preprint on the impacts of a changed shipping route.

Review Dr. Diamond’s publications on Google Scholar

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Hosted, produced, and edited by Clark Marchese

Cover art by Jomiro Eming

Theme music by Nela Ruiz

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