Clouds ‘Cool Earth Less Than Once Thought’

[ScienceRocks]

Clouds ‘Cool Earth Less Than Once Thought’
Published: May 18th, 2013

Clouds ?Cool Earth Less Than Once Thought? | Climate Central
By Paul Brown, Climate News Network

LONDON – Extra cloud cover caused by emissions of industrial pollutants is known to reduce the effects of global warming, but its impact in reducing temperatures has been over-estimated in the climate models, new research has found.

This is particularly significant for China and India, because it has been believed that these two giant countries would be partly shielded from the effects of climate change by their appalling industrial pollution. The Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany believes this potential cooling effect has been exaggerated.

The Institute’s study looked at the behavior of sulphate particles in the air created by the reaction of oxygen with sulphur dioxide released from factory chimneys and other sources of pollution.

Extra cloud cover caused by emissions of industrial pollutants is known to reduce the effects of global warming, but its impact in reducing temperatures has been overestimated in the climate models.


In humid conditions the sulphates attract water droplets and form clouds. This increase in the cloud cover reflects more sunlight back into space and so cools the earth.

So I guess it is the oceans that are slowly the warming.