The Science Behind the Smell of the Sea

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2015 — There's nothing like the smell of salty sea air over summer vacation. But instead of frolicking on the beach, a group of chemists is researching the compounds inside that air. Sea spray aerosols (SSAs) are created with every breaking wave. Kimberly Prather, Ph.D. and her team have discovered in research published in ACS Central Science that SSAs have a huge impact on the planet's climate. Take a break from the beach and check out the video here: http://youtu.be/qBX4Vl6-SMM.