Clouds play a significant role in the Earth's climate.
These swirling masses act as gatekeepers for the flow of radiation between the sun and the Earth and influence climate by reflecting and absorbing energy from the sun. Understanding the complex interplay between clouds and radiation is critical for developing general circulation models that simulate the global climate. Cloud cover over Zaire. Clouds over the Pacific. Recent studies have produced conflicting conclusions of how accurately general circulation models represent one aspect of this interplay, the amount of solar radiation clouds absorb.