| We show that nanometer-sized potassium-rich particles emitted by microorganisms and vegetation act as seeds for the condensation of secondary organic aerosol and the formation of cloud droplets in the Amazon, which implies that rainforest biota have a much more direct influence on the hydrological cycle and climate than previously thought. This unexpected discovery resulted from the first application of X-ray microscopy and absorption spectroscopy (STXM-NEXAFS) for the analysis of Amazonian organic aerosols. |
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