by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
The advance of cold air masses in the Northern Hemisphere may influence the fertility of Amazon soils<\/strong>. This is the finding of a study<\/a> coordinated by Brazilian and German researchers and published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters<\/em>, according to which large-scale atmospheric systems control the transport of nutrient-rich aerosols<\/strong> from Africa to the Amazon. According to the authors, cold waves and high-pressure anomalies in the South Atlantic alter rainfall patterns and, in turn, determine whether the world\u2019s largest tropical rainforest receives \u201cclean\u201d air or air laden with particles.<\/p>\n The discovery calls for a rethink of the causes behind the phenomenon. Until now, scientists believed that changes in wind direction played an almost exclusive role. The study instead highlights the central role of rainfall<\/strong> and its ability to \u201cwash\u201d the atmosphere as aerosols travel across the Atlantic.<\/p>\n