06/11/2026
Is it cloud seeding if it occurs naturally in nature through natural processes? Our planet continues to blow my mind.
Scientists have detected new chemicals in the air above the Amazon rainforest.
The discovery came during and after the record-breaking drought that affected the region in 2023 and 2024.
Researchers monitoring air above the forest canopy found that Amazon trees began releasing unusual compounds known as sesquiterpene alcohols, including one called beta-eudesmol. These chemicals had never previously been detected in rainforest air.
What's particularly surprising is that the compounds appeared after rainfall returned and continued for weeks after the drought had ended.
Trees naturally release chemicals into the atmosphere, but some of these compounds act as stress signals or protective substances when plants are exposed to extreme heat, drought, or other environmental pressures.
The researchers found that levels of known stress-related chemicals more than doubled during the drought. Then, as the forest recovered, a completely new group of compounds emerged.
Scientists believe the emissions may be linked to how trees cope with damage caused by heat and water shortages, although more research is needed to understand exactly what role the chemicals play.
The finding could have implications beyond the trees themselves.
These airborne compounds can help form tiny particles in the atmosphere that influence clouds, sunlight, and regional weather patterns. If extreme droughts become more common as the climate warms, researchers say these unusual emissions could become a more permanent feature of the Amazon.
Read the study:
"Intense El Niño provokes production of new reactive volatiles as stress defences in Amazon rainforest." Communications Earth and Environment
