Rain, snow forms with aid of living organisms: study

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2008

CHICAGO (AFP) — Biological organisms play a significant role in the formation of rain and snow, according to a study released Thursday by the journal Science.

The discovery of these organisms and their importance in the water cycle could help researchers improve climate forecasts and better understand the relationship between the biosphere and climate, the authors concluded.

They could also one day be used to bring rain to dry areas, said lead author Brent Christner of Louisiana State University.

Scientists have long known that the ice crystals in clouds which become rain or snow need to cling to some kind of particle, called ice nucleators, in order to form in temperatures above minus 40 degrees Celsius.

But they did not realize, until now, that the...