MET 112 Global Climate Change - CLOUDS and CLIMATE Prof. Menglin Susan Jin Department of Meteorology, San Jos State University Outline Clouds Formation Clouds Climatology Clouds and the Radiation Budget

A good repository of cloud photos in various categories can be found at www.cloudappreciationsociety.org/gallery

Clouds by Christina Rossetti White sheep, white sheep, On a blue hill, When the wind stops You all stand still When the wind blows You walk away slow. White sheep, white sheep, Where do you go?

A Scientist’s View of Clouds Clouds are formed when air containing water vapor is cooled below a critical temperature called the dew point and the resulting moisture condenses into droplets on microscopic dust particles (condensation nuclei) in the atmosphere. CLOUDS: A visible mass of liquid water droplets suspended in the atmosphere above Earth's surface. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/glossary.php3

Video: cloud formation in Tucson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiCSk1zxMEs Timelapse of Tucson cloud formations MET 112 Global Climate Change

Questions What role do clouds play on the Earth’s climate? What would happen to our climate if clouds were to increase/decrease? How does clouds formation change with pollution? So today, after these very broad introductory comments, we will spend a short time looking at the nature of energy in the E-A system, then we will look at some very basic radiation concepts (here I don’t want to get bogged down in complex detail, I just want to give you an overview of basic radiation concepts). However it is important that you have a basic understanding, because radiation is the primary energy source for driving atmospheric and ocean circulation and for all life on earth. Finally today, we’ll examine the mean annual global energy budget, concentrating especially on those significant climate leverage points.

MET 112 Global Climate Change Video http://www.met.sjsu.edu/metr112-videos/MET%20112%20Video%20Library-wmv/clouds/DTS-5.wmv DTS-5.mp4 Clouds-1.mp4 –clouds and aerosols MET 112 Global Climate Change

Clouds Roles - Importance of Clouds Clouds is part of hydrological cycle to move water Clouds is key in energy Clouds absorb/reflect short wave radiation (clouds alebedo effect) Clouds emit longwave radiation back to space clouds absorb surface longwave radiation and keep the heat in the atmosphere to warm the surface (clouds greenhouse effect) MET 112 Global Climate Change

100% of the incoming energy from the sun is balanced by 100% percent total energy outgoing from the earth. incoming energy from the Sun = outgoing energy from the Earth. 13

MET 112 Global Climate Change since the Earth is much cooler than the Sun, its radiating energy is much weaker (long wavelength) infrared energy. energy radiation into the atmosphere as heat, rising from a hot road, creating shimmers on hot sunny days. The earth-atmosphere energy balance is achieved as the energy received from the Sun balances the energy lost by the Earth back into space. So, the Earth maintains a stable average temperature and therefore a stable climate. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//atmos/energy.htm MET 112 Global Climate Change 14

Earth System Water Cycle 15

Clouds can form along warm and cold fronts, where air flows up the side of the mountain and cools as it rises higher into the atmosphere, and when warm air blows over a colder surface, such as a cool body of water.

Water in the atmosphere Definitions: Evaporation: Condensation: Precipitation:

Water in the atmosphere Definitions: Evaporation: Condensation: Precipitation: Process where a liquid changes into a gas Process where a gas changes into a liquid Any liquid or solid water that falls from the atmosphere to the ground. (i.e. RAIN!)

Condensation The process by which water vapor changes to a cloud droplet Water vapor molecules may ‘stick’ to condensation nuclei and grow (billions) to eventually form cloud droplet. Examples of condensation nuclei include: Dust Salt Smoke Condensation occurs primarily as temperature cools: colder the molecules more likely they are to ‘stick’ to other molecules

Aerosols Affect Cloud Droplet Size 1.Aerosols serve as cloud condensation nuclie (CCN) Ocean case Land case CCN CCN 2. More aerosols, they will compete for water vapor to condense on, so smaller cloud droplet MET 112 Global Climate Change

Why ocean has larger cloud droplets than land? Zonal Mean Cloud Effective Radius (M. D. King, S. Platnick et al. – NASA GSFC) Why ocean has larger cloud droplets than land? July 2006 (Collection 5) Aqua

Clouds and radiation Cloud - Climate Interactions Albedo effect - COOLING Clouds reflect incoming solar radiation. The cloud droplet size and total water content determine the overall reflectivity. Greenhouse effect - WARMING Clouds are good absorbers (and emitters) of long wave (infrared) radiation.

Clouds and day to day temperatures Imagine that you are going camping in the Sierras with your friends. On the first day (and evening) it is clear, while on the second day (and evening) it is cloud. Based on this information alone: Which day would be warmer? Which evening would be warmer? Explain your answers.

Which day would be warmer? First day (clear) Second day (cloudy) Both the same

Which evening would be warmer? First day (clear) Second day (cloudy) Both the same

Clouds types

Low and High clouds Consider two types of clouds: Low levels clouds High levels clouds Q: How is the Earth’s surface energy budget different for low clouds compared to high clouds?

Clouds and Climate Cloud A: Low level, (dark, thick) Cloud B: High level, light (sub visible or thin)

Clouds and climate Cloud A: Low level, (dark, thick) Cloud B: High level, light (sub visible or thin) Excellent reflector of incoming radiation; good absorber/emitter of infrared radiation Fair/poor reflector of incoming radiation; good/excellent absorber/emitter of infrared radiation So, clouds both warm and cool the earth. Overall, though, clouds act to cool the earth

Changes in clouds Increases in low level clouds will: Increases in high level clouds will:

Changes in clouds Increases in low level clouds will: cool the surface (cooling outweighs warming) Increases in high level clouds will: warm the surface (warming outweighs cooling)

Cirrus

Altocumulus (possibly cirrocumulus, depending on altitude of the clouds)

Stratocumulus

Broken stratocumulus

Nimbostratus

Cumulus humilis (commonly called 'fair weather cumulus')

Cumulus

Cumulus

Cumulus

Cumulus

Cumulonimbus

Stratus

Stratus

Cirrus

Clouds That Look Like Things

Explain how the earth’s climate would change as a result of aircraft contrails.

Class Participation Concept Map

Activity : Water Concept Map Draw a concept map using the following terms. You may add additional terms if you wish. Water vapor Ice Liquid water Condensation Evaporation Gas High Cloud Low Cloud Precipitation Condensation nuclei Temperature Warming Cooling Air