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The interaction between cloud formation and climate change is an aspect of atmospheric science. Clouds have a dual role [6] in the Earth's climate system: they can cool the Earth's surface by reflecting incoming solar radiation (albedo effect) and warm it by trapping outgoing infrared radiation (greenhouse effect).
The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment demonstrated that small variations in cloud coverage, structure, altitude, droplet size, and phase have significant effects on the climate. A five percent increase in short-wave reflection from clouds would counteract the greenhouse effect of the past two-hundred years.
Clouds have both cooling and warming effects. They have a cooling effect insofar as they reflect sunlight (as measured by cloud albedo), and a warming effect, insofar as they absorb longwave radiation. For low clouds, the reflection of solar radiation is the larger effect; so, these clouds cool the Earth.
Details of how clouds interact with shortwave and longwave radiation at different atmospheric heights [17]. Clouds have two major effects on the Earth's energy budget: they reflect shortwave radiation from sunlight back to space due to their high albedo, but the water vapor contained inside them also absorbs and re-emits the longwave radiation sent out by the Earth's surface as it is heated by ...
Aerosols (very fine particles/droplets in the atmosphere) have both direct and indirect effects on Earth's radiative balance. The direct (albedo) effect is generally to cool the planet; the indirect effect (the particles act as cloud condensation nuclei and thereby change cloud properties) is less certain. [62]
Tropospheric clouds can have a direct effect on climate change on Earth. They may reflect incoming rays from the Sun which can contribute to a cooling effect where and when these clouds occur, or trap longer wave radiation that reflects up from the Earth's surface which can cause a warming effect.
When a veil of clouds drapes the sky, be on the lookout for sun dogs -- pieces of rainbows that glow to the left and right of the sun. They often appear in pairs when sunlight shines through thin ...
The effect is much like if a person were to shine a red spotlight on a white sheet. In combination with large, mature thunderheads this can produce blood-red clouds. Clouds look darker in the near-infrared because water absorbs solar radiation at those wavelengths.