Clouds in the perturbed climate system : their relationship to energy balance, atmospheric dynamics, and precipitation /
Ernst Strüngmann ForumCorporate Author
Ernst Strüngmann Forum(2008 :Frankfurt, Germany)
Ernst Strèungmann Forum
Heintzenberg, J.(Jost)
Charlson, Robert J.
More than half the globe is covered by visible clouds. Clouds control major parts of the Earth's energy balance, influencing both incoming shortwave solar radiation and outgoing longwave thermal radiation. Latent heating and cooling related to cloud processes modify atmospheric circulation, and, by modulating sea surface temperatures, clouds affect the oceanic circulation. Clouds are also an essential component of the global water cycle, on which all terrestrial life depends. Yet clouds constitute the most poorly quantified, least understood, and most puzzling aspect of atmospheric science, and thus the largest source of uncertainty in the prediction of climate change. Because clouds are influenced by climate change, and because complex, unidentified feedback systems are involved, science is faced with many unanswered questions. This volume begins by indentifying and describing the baffling nature of clouds. It explores the boundaries of current knowledge on the spatial/temporal variability of clouds and cloud-related aerosols as well as the factors that control clouds, and examines the extent and nature of anthropogenic perturbations. Particular emphasis is given to the connections of clouds to climate through radiation, dynamics, precipitation, and chemistry, and to the difficulties in understanding the obvious but elusive fact that clouds must be affected by climate change. Utilizing the insights of this unique gathering of experts, the book offers recommendations to improve the current state of knowledge and direct future research in fields ranging from chemistry and theoretical physics to climate modeling and remote satellite sensing.
Contents; The Ernst Strüngmann Forum; List of Contributors; 1 Introduction; 2 Trends in Observed Cloudiness and Earth's Radiation Budget; 3 Climatologies of Cloud-related Aerosols; 4 Cloud Properties from In-situ and Remote-sensing Measurements; 5 Clouds and Precipitation; 6 Temporal and Spatial Variability of Clouds and Related Aerosols; 7 Laboratory Cloud Simulation; 8 Cloud-controlling Factors; 9 Deep Convective Clouds; 10 Large-scale Controls on Cloudiness; 11 Cloud-controlling Factors of Cirrus; 12 Cloud-controlling Factors; 13 Cloud Particle Precursors
14 Cloud-Aerosol Interactions from the Micro to the Cloud Scale15 Weather and Climate Engineering; 16 Air Pollution and Precipitation; 17 What Do We Know about Large-scale Changes of Aerosols, Clouds, and the Radiation Budget?; 18 The Extent and Nature of Anthropogenic Perturbations of Clouds; 19 Global Indirect Radiative Forcing Caused by Aerosols; 20 Simulating Global Clouds; 21 Observational Strategies from the Micro- to Mesoscale; 22 Observational Strategies at Meso- and Large Scales to Reduce Critical Uncertainties in Future Cloud Changes
23 Aerosols and Clouds in Chemical Transport Models and Climate Models24 Current Understanding and Quantification of Clouds in the Changing Climate System and Strategies for Reducing Critical Uncertainties; Abbreviations; Name Index; Subject Index
Mode of access: World Wide Web
Made available online by Ebrary.
Forum held June 2-7, 2008 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
More than half the globe is covered by visible clouds. Clouds control major parts of the Earth's energy balance, influencing both incoming shortwave solar radiation and outgoing longwave thermal radiation. Latent heating and cooling related to cloud processes modify atmospheric circulation, and, by modulating sea surface temperatures, clouds affect the oceanic circulation. Clouds are also an essential component of the global water cycle, on which all terrestrial life depends. Yet clouds constitute the most poorly quantified, least understood, and most puzzling aspect of atmospheric science, and thus the largest source of uncertainty in the prediction of climate change. Because clouds are influenced by climate change, and because complex, unidentified feedback systems are involved, science is faced with many unanswered questions. This volume begins by indentifying and describing the baffling nature of clouds. It explores the boundaries of current knowledge on the spatial/temporal variability of clouds and cloud-related aerosols as well as the factors that control clouds, and examines the extent and nature of anthropogenic perturbations. Particular emphasis is given to the connections of clouds to climate through radiation, dynamics, precipitation, and chemistry, and to the difficulties in understanding the obvious but elusive fact that clouds must be affected by climate change. Utilizing the insights of this unique gathering of experts, the book offers recommendations to improve the current state of knowledge and direct future research in fields ranging from chemistry and theoretical physics to climate modeling and remote satellite sensing.
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Cloud physics
Clouds
Climatic changes
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