Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Climate

Climate change pushing clouds higher into the atmosphere, shifting them towards Earth’s poles

These movements could in turn help speed up global warming.

Tyler MacDonald by Tyler MacDonald
September 5, 2017
in Climate, Environmental Issues, News, Pollution, Science

Climate change is pushing clouds higher into the atmosphere and causing them to shift towards the Earth’s poles, according to a new study.

Image credit Pexels
Image credit Pexels

A new analysis of various types of clouds records has revealed that the Earth’s clouds are being pushed higher into the atmosphere and moving towards its poles. The data points to the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases caused by climate change as the culprit and aligns with the predictions made by previous climate models.

“What this paper brings to the table is the first credible demonstration that the cloud changes we expect from climate models and theory are currently happening,” said Joel Norris of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego and lead author of the study.

Understanding the behavior of clouds is important for climate scientists due to the unique roles that they play – in addition to cooling the planet by reflecting solar radiation, they are also responsible for trapping solar energy and heating the planet. This unique dual role is one of the biggest obstacles for climate scientists attempting to better understand how to curb global warming.

Most cloud imaging data is unreliable due to being captured by satellites designed to weather monitoring. These devices are prone to be influenced by changes in their orbit, calibration, and sensor degradation, among other factors.

Norris and his team removed these artifacts from several independent satellite records in order to get a clearer picture of cloud behavior and revealed their increasing height and movement towards the Earth’s poles.

The findings are concerning because these changes increase the absorption of solar radiation by the Earth and decrease the emission of thermal radiation to space, both of which contribute to the global warming that stems from the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations witnessed in the recent years.

Journal Reference: Evidence for Climate Change in the Satellite Cloud Record. Published 8 July 2016. 10.1038/nature18273

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Climate change is making marine species migrate towards the poles faster than those on land
  2. Satellite data shows climate change pushing the entire boreal biome towards the north
  3. Doomsday part 3: The magnetic poles are shifting!
  4. Scientists dream up plan to refreeze Earth’s poles by 2°C by spraying sun-blocking particles into the upper atmosphere. But is it worth it?
  5. Marine species move toward the poles to avoid climate change
Tags: climate changecloudsearthglobal warming

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW