Page 4 - Airborne Science Program News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

"We are finding this human-made material in what we consider a pristine area of the atmosphere," the stratosphere.

West Lafayette IN (SPX) Oct 17, 2023 - The Space Age is leaving fingerprints on one of the most remote parts of the planet - the stratosphere - which has potential implications for climate, the ozone layer and the continued habitability

The Space Age is leaving fingerprints on one of the most remote parts of the planet — the stratosphere — which has potential implications for climate, the ozone layer and the continued habitability of Earth.

<p>Using tools hitched to the nose cone of their research planes and sampling more than 11 miles above the planet&rsquo;s surface, researchers have discovered significant amounts of metals in aerosols in the atmosphere, likely from increasingly frequent launches and returns of spacecraft and satellites. That mass of metal is changing atmospheric chemistry in ways that may impact Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere and ozone layer.</p>

The ER-2 aircraft was able to fly into thunderstorms to make observations that could help scientists better predict when storms could turn severe.