We know that understanding the atmosphere has never mattered more. As 2025 draws to a close, we’ve been looking back at our science stories from 2025. Here's to celebrating another year of atmospheric science: ncas.ac.uk/unlocking-an...

If there's one point that needs hammering home, it's that there's no such thing as 'clean' combustion. You can have 'cleaner', but that always needs to be qualified.

PhD opportunity at the University of Manchester/NCAS. This follows on from the recent domestic solid fuel report, using the same stoves to investigate how sensitive emissions are to user behaviour. Please distribute to anyone you think might be interested. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

I wish I could say this was unexpected, but it'd be something of a travesty if it goes ahead. Pretty much everyone in the atmospheric science community is familiar with NCAR and their work.

I like to keep politics out of my Bluesky posts, but I definitely prefer Calibri to Times New Roman. The majority of the text I read is now on screens, and modern sans serif fonts are just so much better for that.

The team at the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis have published their latest annual report. It's packed full of stats, standout achievements, and a look back over 3 decades of supporting environmental research. Thank you for everything you do for us at NCAS! 👏 ncas.ac.uk/30-years-and...

NCAS is part of a new group, the National Research Organisations, covering ass aspects of UK science.

Two weeks in the gorgeous Lake District, learning about weather observations and modelling with like-minded peers and experts - sounds interesting? Then you should check out our Atmospheric Measurement & Modelling Summer School! Apply today: ncas.ac.uk/study-with-u...

How could pollutants from aircraft change by burning sustainable aviation fuel? New research marks a major step forward in understanding how different aviation fuels change the impact of flying on air quality and the climate. Read more: ncas.ac.uk/scientists-p...

Things aren't looking very good this year. Make sure you get vaccinated, if offered. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I was involved on the periphery of this. Outdoor air pollution was considered a societal 'leveller', but given that a lot of exposure to air pollution is now in our own homes, there's a lot of questions whether there are trends we should know about regarding housing stock and socioeconomics.

The specifics of the government plan. Commitments 19-22 concern air pollution and they've moved some targets forward. For England, they're now by 2030 wanting to get PM2.5 to 10 µg m/3, PERT down 30% and ammonia emissions down 16%. www.gov.uk/government/p...

For those familiar with the scene, this shouldn't come as a shock, but STOTEN is out of Clarivate having previously been suspended. Those with a login can find it on last month's change log. It's still listed by Scopus, but then Elsevier own both, so go figure...

This'll make things interesting. For a few years now, many people have been saying that the government's target of 10 µg/m3 by 2040 wasn't ambitious enough, given most parts of the UK outside of London have by now either hit it or are close to doing so. (1/2) www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Fascinated by windstorms and their hidden history? Be part of the NCAS team at Reading, and get a chance to dig into the archives and shape the future of storm-risk science. @uor-research.bsky.social Apply by 4 January 2026: ncas.ac.uk/job-opportun...

Global regulations are having air quality benefits in ports and open oceans. @ncas-uk.bsky.social scientists used aircraft and ground measurements, with STEAM3 model predictions, to assess sulfur emissions from ships. ncas.ac.uk/major-drop-i...

Passionate about climate science & extreme weather? Join our team at Reading. Apply by 4 January 2026: @uor-research.bsky.social ncas.ac.uk/job-opportun...

Today I received an email from 'Frontiers' that asides from soliciting papers to a journal completely outside of my discipline, actually had an 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom that lead to a 'global unsubscribe' option. Today is a good day.

Piece covering the work we've done on sampling ship emissions, with a really cool photo of FAAM. I was involved in the measurements in 2019 (with a student) but not the the ones after the new controls came in. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This is interesting. One thing this illustrates asides the fact that the inventories are probably off (not surprising because BC emissions are notoriously hard to model), is how data sparse the global south is when it comes to in situ observations.

Places are filling up fast for December's Air Quality in the 21st Century at the Royal Society of Chemistry. It's a science adventure from the work of AQEG to net zero, health gains from air pollution actions, UFP, shipping, inequalities in exposure the ULEZ and more. www.rsc.org/events/detai...

Leaving politics aside, I'm sure that when the Epstein files drop, there'll be a mad rush to see how fast people can put them through the AI summary mangle. I'm very morbidly curious to know what's going to happen, given most of the evidence is likely to be incredibly boring.

This is really interesting.

The 2025-26 UK storm season has begun, and this week marks 10 years since the first named storm. We spoke to NCAS researchers about what to expect for the new season and as the climate continues to warm. ncas.ac.uk/uk-storm-sea...

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels are projected to rise by 1.1% in 2025 – reaching a record high, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project. Read more: ncas.ac.uk/decarbonisat...

While fresh air is good, trying to clean the air chemically is not. The atmospheric chemistry community has been saying this for a long time; the best ways of cleaning indoor air is physical removal (filters/sorbents/air exchange).

Well deserved. I was one of many aerosol scientists who sprayed their coffee over the screen when the WHO made that 'particles bigger than 5 microns can't be airborne' statement, and while many in our field fought to raise awareness, Morawska is one in particular that deserves recognition.

It’s clear that atmospheric science plays a vital role in our collective effort to tackle climate change. As #COP30 begins, check out our 4 stories of climate science in action: ncas.ac.uk/cop30-and-cl...

New PhD projects available at the Aerosol Science CDT, including one of mine (it involves burning stuff). Please pass on to those who might be interested. www.aerosol-cdt.ac.uk/2026-projects/

"We live on a planet on the brink of disaster -- This year’s State of the Climate Report warns of imminent climate chaos" by @brianmchugh.bsky.social for @yorkshirebylines.co.uk: yorkshirebylines.co.uk/news/environ...

1.5°C was always going to be a challenge, but I'm not convinced there is the collective will to meet 2°C either. I think the debate around geoengineering is inevitably shifting from 'if' we think it's a good idea, to 'when' it will become a necessity (assuming it isn't already).

Here's an interesting one, linking prenatal PM2.5 and O3 exposure with autism. The also found the most significant link was with ammonium sulphate, but given the location and time period, this could be a proxy for industrial emissions. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Here's one that's done the rounds today, a new report from Ricardo that looks at the impacts of domestic burning, with a particular focus on Hertfordshire. The number the Guardian is quoting is 2,500 deaths from domestic burning annually. (1/3) www.ricardo.com/en/news-and-...

New satellite data products just dropped!

Applications are now open for 200 new PhD Studentships and Fellowships. We're investing in early career researchers, in partnership with philanthropic support - to develop the next generation of research leaders. Share with someone you know! www.manchester.ac.uk/research/bic...

I've got mixed feelings about the notion that this is because of reduced sulphur emissions. On the one hand, it means rapid short term warming. On the other, it supports the notion that marine cloud brightening might be feasible as a geoengineering technique. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

As a PHEV user myself, I'm aware that this issue isn't new. The short version is that this relates to the fact that they assumed people would plug in plug-in hybrids more than they do, but it does speak to a wider issue of 'perverse incentives'. (1/6) www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Another 'first paper' from one of my PhD students, this time by Osayomwanbor Oghama. This paper is looking at stove emissions, focused on the chemical profiling using CIMS and AMS according to different fuels and burning conditions. doi.org/10.1039/D5EA...

One to watch. Even before Dieselgate, I'd heard 'cycle beating' was an open secret in the industry and the academic community were already reporting curiously high emissions, so it's safe to assume they were all at it. (1/4) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I was asked to do a talk about AI in Atmospheric Chemistry a couple of weeks ago and as part of this I presented the latest version of the Gartner Hype Cycle (h/t @loftytopping.bsky.social). Worryingly, LLMs are currently on the wrong part of the rollercoaster. Now see www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The UK emissions inventory for 2023 has been published (naei.energysecurity.gov.uk). Been picking through the numbers and one thing that's reassuring is that it appears that the downward trend in NOx from transport is continuing post-COVID. We've still got a way to go, but it's good news.

This is important work an tallies with data I've seen from the supersite during heatwaves. As the climate warms up, the contribution to PM from secondary organic matter increases, and this is something we still have a relatively poor handle on compared to other sources.

This policy isn't a surprise, but it's the exact wording that I'm interested in. Looking at the key words, they're basically saying "We know climate change is bad, but we can make little difference as a country, so why bother trying?" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Scientists increasingly assess interventions against misinformation mainly via truth discernment. Tobia Spampatti argues in Nature Climate Change that pursuing truth discernment may not be sufficiently beneficial to society if interventions do not improve behaviour and other outcomes. 🧪

Last week we hosted the first UK Atmospheric Chemistry Conference, with the @ukceh.bsky.social and @nceoscience.bsky.social.

Been slacking off with posts lately, which is bad. This was a great meeting earlier this week, the first (hopefully of many) UK atmospheric chemistry conferences. While internationally this topic is served by the likes of IGAC, we haven't had a specific UK one until now.

So here's a thing... Popper's paradox can be boiled down to "we shouldn't tolerate intolerance". But what happens when you have two opposing sides, each justifying the intolerance of the other on the basis of the intolerance they're receiving, to the point where it becomes self-sustaining?

A new paper from India. This is analysing data from the lockdown recovery in Chennai, which gives an important glimpse at how human activity can affect aerosols, which can in turn affect health, weather and climate. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Some people may already know this, but I managed to make professor recently. I'm not one for blowing my own trumpet, but I wanted to extend a thanks to all my students, postdocs, colleagues and collaborators (you know who you are), without whom this wouldn't have been possible (or as fun).