We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Reply on RC1
ClearReply on RC2
Researchers investigated the atmospheric settling behaviour of non-spherical microplastics, including glitters and fibres with nominal diameters and lengths ranging from 0.1 to 5 mm, to improve transport model accuracy. Experimental data showed settling velocities up to 78% lower than spherical equivalents, underscoring the need to account for particle morphology in atmospheric dispersion models.
The atmospheric settling of commercially sold microplastics
Researchers measured the gravitational settling velocities of commercially available glitter microplastics (0.1-3 mm nominal diameter) and synthetic fibers (1.2-5 mm length) in air, finding that non-spherical shapes cause complex settling behaviors that deviate substantially from spherical particle models used in atmospheric transport models.
Reply on CC1
This study examined the settling behavior of commercially available microplastic particles in the atmosphere, focusing on how physical properties such as size and shape influence transport and deposition, with implications for understanding the atmospheric dispersion of microplastics. The work responds to prior commentary by providing additional experimental data relevant to modeling large microplastic settling dynamics.
Comment on egusphere-2025-605
Researchers examined the atmospheric settling behavior of commercially available glitter particles and synthetic fibers with complex non-spherical shapes to improve models of large microplastic transport and deposition. Experimental measurements of gravitational settling velocity for glitters (0.1-3 mm diameter) and fibers (1.2-5 mm length) provided data largely absent from prior literature on aerodynamic microplastic behavior.
Gravitational settling of microplastic fibers: experimental results and implications for global transport
This study measured the gravitational settling velocities of microplastic fibers and found that their non-spherical shape causes them to settle much more slowly than spheres of the same volume. Current atmospheric transport models that assume spherical particles significantly underestimate how long fibers remain airborne. These results have important implications for predicting how far microplastic fibers can travel before depositing.
Effects of Shape and Size on Microplastic Atmospheric Settling Velocity
Researchers measured atmospheric settling and horizontal drift velocities of various microplastic shapes and sizes in controlled settling chambers, providing empirical data needed to improve atmospheric transport models that explain how microplastics reach remote environments.
Modeling the Gravitational Settling of Microplastic Fibers in the Atmosphere
Researchers developed and applied a model for gravitational settling of microplastic fibers in the atmosphere, examining how fiber shape and size influence atmospheric residence time and deposition patterns to better understand the global atmospheric transport cycle of microplastics.
Long-distance atmospheric transport of microplastic fibers depends on their shapes
Researchers developed a theory-based settling velocity model for microplastic fibers in the atmosphere that accounts for fiber shape and cross-sectional dimensions, finding that correctly characterising flat fibers rather than treating them as cylinders increases estimated mean atmospheric residence time by over 450%, suggesting the ocean is a major source of airborne plastic and that long-range transport is far more efficient than previously thought.
Atmospheric transport of microplastic particles as a function of their size and shape
Researchers investigated the atmospheric transport and settling of microplastic particles as a function of size and shape, implementing a shape-correction parameterization for fiber-shaped particles in an atmospheric transport model to better represent their reduced gravitational settling velocity compared to spheres. The study showed that non-spherical fibers experience greater atmospheric drag, increasing their residence time and transport distance, and that including shape effects improved agreement between model output and ground-based measurements.
A physics-based and orientation-aware method for the direct calculation of the settling speed of prolate spheroidal particles in the atmosphere : theoretical basis and comparison to laboratory and CFL data
Researchers developed a physics-based, orientation-aware method for calculating the settling speed of prolate spheroidal particles such as microplastic fibres in the atmosphere, grounding the approach in theoretical drag and orientation models rather than purely empirical fits and validating it against laboratory and CFD data.
Terminal Settling Velocity of Cylindrical Rods with Various Geometries Applicable to Atmospheric Microplastics
Researchers measured how the shape of cylindrical microplastic fibers affects their settling speed through air, finding that curved and V-shaped fibers fall significantly faster than straight ones — up to 57% faster for V-shaped rods — which matters for predicting how airborne microplastics disperse in the atmosphere.
Shape matters: long-range transport of microplastic fibers in the atmosphere
This study modeled the long-range atmospheric transport of microplastic fibers, finding that their elongated non-spherical shape causes them to travel much farther than spherical particles before settling. This helps explain why microplastic fibers are found even in the most remote locations on Earth, far from any plastic pollution source.
Reply on RC1
Researchers presented advances in FLEXPART, a Lagrangian particle dispersion model, including improvements in trajectory accuracy by using native ECMWF vertical coordinates, enhanced gravitational settling calculations that account for non-spherical particle shapes such as microplastic fibers, and a revised wet deposition scheme. These updates achieved an 8-10% reduction in conservation errors for semi-conserved quantities and increased simulation accuracy for atmospheric transport of microplastic particles.
Settling velocity of microplastic particles having regular and irregular shapes
Researchers measured how quickly microplastic particles of various shapes settle through water, testing 66 different particle types including spheres, cylinders, fibers, and irregular fragments. They found that particle shape significantly affects settling speed, with fibers and flat shapes sinking more slowly than spheres of the same size. The study provides new equations for predicting where microplastics end up in oceans and waterways based on their shape.
Twist, turn and encounter: the trajectories of small atmospheric particles unravelled
Experiments and simulations studied how non-spherical solid particles (including microplastics) settle through air, finding unexpectedly complex tumbling and spiraling trajectories even at low speeds. These insights improve predictions of how airborne microplastic particles travel and deposit across landscapes.
Comment on egusphere-2025-605
Researchers examined the atmospheric transport of microplastics, focusing on how their settling behavior — determined by physical properties including size and shape — governs the dispersion of large microplastic particles through the atmosphere and their deposition across environments.
Microplastic shape affects travel distance
Researchers found that microplastic shape significantly influences atmospheric transport distance, with fibre and complex-shaped particles travelling farther than spherical ones assumed in most models, helping explain the detection of microplastics in remote locations such as Antarctica and Mount Fuji.
Low Reynolds Number Settling of Cylindrical Rods with Various Geometries in a Quiescent Fluid
Researchers experimentally investigated the settling behaviour of curved, V-shaped, U-shaped, and S-shaped cylindrical rods at low Reynolds numbers to improve models of atmospheric microplastic fibre transport, conducting experiments with millimeter-scale metal rods spanning aspect ratios from 10 to 120. The study found that fibre geometry significantly affects settling trajectories and drag compared to simplified sphere or straight-cylinder approximations used in current atmospheric transport models.
Reply on RC2
Researchers presented advances in FLEXPART, a Lagrangian particle dispersion model, including improvements in trajectory accuracy by using native ECMWF vertical coordinates, enhanced gravitational settling calculations that account for non-spherical particle shapes such as microplastic fibers, and a revised wet deposition scheme. These updates achieved an 8-10% reduction in conservation errors for semi-conserved quantities and increased simulation accuracy for atmospheric transport of microplastic particles.
Settling velocity of microplastic particles of regular shapes
This study measured the sinking velocities of spherical, cylindrical, and filament-shaped microplastic particles ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm, finding that shape strongly determines how quickly particles settle through the water column. Understanding settling behavior is essential for modeling how microplastics are transported and deposited in marine environments.
Data on the gravitational settling experiment and FLEXPART simulations output
This is a dataset accompanying a research paper on long-range atmospheric transport of microplastic fibers, providing gravitational settling measurements and FLEXPART dispersion model simulation outputs. The data shows that fiber-shaped microplastics travel differently through the atmosphere than spherical particles, which matters for understanding how microplastics spread globally.
Data on the gravitational settling experiment and FLEXPART simulations output
This is a dataset accompanying a research paper on long-range atmospheric transport of microplastic fibers, providing gravitational settling measurements and FLEXPART dispersion model simulation outputs. The companion paper demonstrates that the shape of microplastic particles significantly influences how far they can be carried in the atmosphere.
Shape Matters: Long-Range Transport of Microplastic Fibers in the Atmosphere
Researchers used atmospheric modeling to explain how microplastic fibers can travel long distances through the air, even reaching remote locations far from population centers. They found that the elongated shape of fibers gives them significantly different aerodynamic properties than spherical particles, allowing them to stay airborne much longer. The study helps explain why microplastics have been detected in pristine environments like mountain peaks and polar regions.
Settling velocities of microplastics with different shapes in sediment-water mixtures
Researchers studied how the shape of microplastic particles affects how quickly they sink in water containing suspended sediment. They found that fibers and films settle much more slowly than fragments and pellets, and that sediment in the water significantly slows the settling of all microplastic types. These findings are important for predicting where microplastics accumulate in lakes, rivers, and oceans.