Floating microplastics are learning to make their own clouds

High above the East Asian coastline, researchers have discovered that microscopic bits of grocery bags and water bottles are no longer just ocean pollutants. These fragments, often measuring between 0.1 and 1 micrometer, are light enough to be lofted by wind into the lower atmosphere where they act as accidental seeds for clouds. While natural clouds usually form around particles of sea salt or mineral dust, the jagged surfaces of microplastics provide the perfect scaffolding for water vapor to cling to and condense into droplets.