All Topics  
Cloud feedback

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Cloud feedback
 
 
  Topics Cloud feedback Topic Home

Cloud feedback is the coupling between cloud
Cloud

A cloud is a visible mass of Drop or frozen crystals floating in the Celestial body atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body....
iness and surface air temperature
Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
 in which a change in surface air temperature could lead to a change in volume of clouds, which could then amplify or diminish the initial temperature perturbation.

This effect is currently known to have a negative impact on the climate system. However, a changing climate may involve changes in the clouds with both positive and negative effects on the radiative balance.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Cloud feedback'
Start a new discussion about 'Cloud feedback'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Cloud feedback is the coupling between cloud
Cloud

A cloud is a visible mass of Drop or frozen crystals floating in the Celestial body atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body....
iness and surface air temperature
Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
 in which a change in surface air temperature could lead to a change in volume of clouds, which could then amplify or diminish the initial temperature perturbation.

This effect is currently known to have a negative impact on the climate system. However, a changing climate may involve changes in the clouds with both positive and negative effects on the radiative balance. It is not known whether the overall effect of Cloud feedback will become a negative or positive feedback, depending on whether and how cloud cover changes. Cloud feedback could almost halve or double the surface air temperature.

Negative feedback

An increase in surface air temperature could increase evaporation
Evaporation

Evaporation is the slow vaporization of a liquid and the reverse of condensation. A type of phase transition, it is the process by which molecules in a liquid State of matter spontaneously become gaseous ....
; this in turn might increase the extent of cloud cover. Increased cloud cover would reduce the solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface, thereby lowering the surface temperature. However, the cloud that is produced may not have ability to block sunlight as low clouds tend to cool, while high clouds tend to warm.

Positive feedback

Likewise, an increase in surface air temperature would have more water vapor
Water vapor

Water vapor or water vapour , also aqueous vapor, is the gas phase of water . Water vapor is one Phase of the water cycle within the hydrosphere....
 present in the atmosphere. The amount of water vapor that the atmosphere can contain increases exponentially with temperature. Therefore, increases in temperature will yield increases in atmospheric water vapor. The increased water vapor will act as a greenhouse gas, enhances the greenhouse effect
Greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect refers to the change in the steady state temperature of a planet or moon by the presence of an atmosphere containing gas that absorbs and emits infrared....
 and could lead to further warming. However, this positive feedback could be modified by an increase in cloudcover that could lead to a negative feedback.

See also

  • Bergeron process
    Bergeron process

    The Bergeron Findeisen Process , also known as the cold rain or ice crystal process, is the formation of Precipitation in the cold clouds of the mid and upper latitudes by ice crystal growth....
  • Cloud albedo
    Cloud albedo

    Cloud albedo is a measure of the albedo of a cloud - higher values mean that the cloud reflects more solar radiation, or more radiation is Transmittance....
  • Cloud condensation nuclei
    Cloud condensation nuclei

    Cloud condensation nuclei or CCNs are small particles about which cloud droplets coalescence . Water requires a non-gaseous surface to make the transition from a vapour to a liquid....