50 years ago, scientists suspected microbes flourished in clouds
Excerpt from the November 14, 1970 issue of Science News
Bacteria and other microbes that get swept into the atmosphere can influence weather.
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Clouds may be ecosystems — Science News, November 14, 1970
Clouds in the sky may contain living microbial ecosystems…. [Research] determined that metabolic activity, in the form of CO2 uptake into organic material, occurred in [airborne] dust over a 24-hour period, whereas it did not occur in sterilized control dust.
Update
The atmosphere is rich in microbial life.