IMPLICATIONS OF CLOUDINESS CHANGES SINCE 1952

From: Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society | Date: March 1, 2004| Author: | Copyright information

An analysis of 46 years of marine synoptic weather reports indicates that global ocean mean upper-level cloud cover has decreased since 1952. Less upper-level cloud cover has allowed more emitted thermal (longwave) radiation to escape to space, thus reducing the greenhouse effect caused by clouds. However, little change has occurred in solar (shortwave) radiation reflected by clouds because increased low-level cloud cover has compensated for decreased upper-level cloud cover in the global average. The increase in estimated net-upward radiation indicates that changes in oceanic cloud cover ...

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