Bird Poop, enriched with ammonia, atmosphere in Arctic, guano

Gross as it may sound, but bird poop enriched with ammonia, may be playing a role in cooling the Arctic during its warmer months, says a study published in Nature Communications.

According to a new research from Colorado State University, atmospheric scientists, who are working to better understand key components of Arctic climate systems, suggested that Ammonia-rich bird poop cools the atmosphere.

The associate Professor of Atmospheric Science Jeff Pierce and graduate student Jack Kodros present evidence linking ammonia emissions from summertime Arctic seabird-colony excrement, called guano, to newly formed atmospheric aerosol particles. These particles can in turn influence Arctic cloud properties and their effects on climate.

Clouds play a key role in modulating Arctic temperature; thus, understanding factors that influence clouds is essential, Pierce says.

Central to the development of clouds is the availability of cloud condensation nuclei - small atmospheric particles around which water can condense.

Using a combination of observations and computer modeling, Pierce, Kodros and co-authors at Dalhousie University, University of Toronto, and Environment and Climate Change Canada determined that migratory-seabird colonies have a definitive influence on atmospheric particles and clouds in the pristine summertime Arctic.

They report the presence of summertime bursts of atmospheric particles linked to ammonia emissions from seabird-colony guano. These particles can spread throughout the Arctic, fostering cloud-droplet formation, and in turn reflect sunlight back to space for a net cooling effect.

"This newly identified and fascinating ecological-atmospheric connection highlights the interconnectedness of the many components of Earth's climate system," Pierce said.