Clearing skies

• Autores: Stephen Battersby
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2985, 2014, págs. 42-45
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • As well as providing entertainment on a lazy day, cloud-watching has a more serious side. Clouds have a vital role that few people appreciate: their overall effect is as a global heat shield, reflecting sunlight that would otherwise bake the Earth and obliterate life. Much depends on what happens to this heat shield as the planet warms. It might grow a little stronger, slowing the warming somewhat. Or it could weaken, meaning the world will warm even faster. This is a crucial question because it could mean the difference between a planet that is 3°C hotter next century--very bad but probably survivable--or 6°C--which would be catastrophic. Here, Battersby explains how low cloud can influence the planet's climate.