“New Research Shows Us We Really Haven't Known Clouds at All and That Means Everything for Climate Science”
“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now From up and down, and still somehow It's cloud illusions, I recall I really don't know clouds at all”
New Research Shows Us We Really Haven't Known Clouds at All and That Means Everything for Climate Science
DEC 10, 2024
Clouds are the mysterious element in climate change. As Join Mitchell sang:
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions, I recall
I really don't know clouds at all
How true, as it turns out. Phys.org has a fascinating article out on the subject and I’m pleased to share some tidbits from it (emphasis added):
The rainforest in the Amazon basin transpires vast amounts of gaseous isoprene. Until now, it was assumed that this molecule is not transported far up into the atmosphere, as it rapidly declines when exposed to light conditions. The CAFE-Brazil measurement campaign provided data for two studies—now published as the Nature cover story—which demonstrate, however, that nocturnal thunderstorms transport the isoprene to an altitude of up to 15 kilometers.
There, it reacts to form chemical compounds capable of forming vast numbers of new aerosol particles. These grow further and contribute to cloud formation as condensation nuclei. This mechanism is likely to affect the climate, too…
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Responsible for this are tropical thunderstorms that brew over the rainforest at night. They pull the isoprene up like a vacuum cleaner and transport it to an altitude of between 8 and 15 kilometers. As soon as the sun rises, hydroxyl radicals form, which react with the isoprene.
But at the extremely low temperatures that prevail at these high altitudes, the rainforest molecules are transformed into compounds different from those near the ground. They bind with nitrogen oxides produced by lightning during the thunderstorm. Many of these molecules can then cluster to form aerosol particles of just a few nanometers. These particles, in turn, grow over time and then serve as condensation nuclei for water vapor—they thus play an important role in cloud formation in the tropics…
The winds that prevail at high altitudes above the Amazon rainforest can transport the particles that form from isoprene up to thousands of kilometers away from the sources. This means they may influence cloud formation at great distances. As clouds, depending on their type and height, both shield solar radiation and prevent heat from being radiated into space, they play a crucial role in the climate. The researchers, therefore, expect that their findings will contribute to improving climate models.
Improving climate models or rendering them as trash? That is the question. We keep being told CO2 and methane are the culprits but, unsurprisingly, the greatest of greenhouse gases, that being water vapor, may also have the greatest impact, and now we may know why. It's in the rain and the rain raises temperatures, not the other way around!
Hat Tip: JoNova
#Clouds #Rain #ClimateChange #Isoprene #ClimateModels