Rapid cloud loss is contributing to record-breaking temperatures, new study shows

Credit: airbus.com

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More sun reaching the Earth’s surface raises temperatures – of course. Nikolov and Zeller explained the process in detail in their paper featured here at the Talkshop a year ago, which was an analysis showing Earth’s climate is driven by Sun and cloud albedo. But the claim that this makes warming due to humans worse is just evidence-free propaganda. Show us how 0.04% CO2 in the atmosphere makes less clouds, changes winds and moves the tropical zones, whereas 0.03% or so doesn’t? Assertions and vague catchphrases won’t do.
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Earth’s cloud cover is rapidly shrinking and contributing to record-breaking temperatures, according to new research involving the Monash-led Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for 21st Century Weather.

The research, led by the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published in Geophysical Research Letters, analyzed satellite observations to find between 1.5% and 3% of the world’s storm cloud zones have been contracting each decade in the past 24 years, says Phys.org.

The trend has been linked to changing wind patterns, the expansion of the tropics and storm systems shifting toward the North and South poles, which are all well-documented responses to climate change.

With fewer clouds reflecting sunlight back into space to keep the planet cool, the warming effect of greenhouse gas emissions is being amplified and driving up global temperatures. [Talkshop comment – speculation: the Earth warms anyway with less cloud cover] .

Co-author and Director of the ARC Center of Excellence for 21st Century Weather Christian Jakob, also a Professor at Monash School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, said reduction in cloud cover is now understood to be the largest contributor to Earth’s increased absorption of solar radiation.

“We’ve long known that changes in atmospheric circulation are affecting clouds,” Professor Jakob said.

“For the first time, we now have research showing those shifts are already driving major changes in how much energy the Earth absorbs.

“It’s an important piece in the puzzle of understanding the extraordinary recent warming we observed, and a wake-up call for urgent climate action.” [Talkshop comment – action to increase cloud cover?]
. . .
Professor Jakob said future climate resilience requires a shift in thinking from climate change to weather change.

Full article here.