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.
Some investigations suggest that clouds absorb more near-infrared radiation than models predict.
Other studies indicate that this enhanced absorption occurs only in clouds over tropical regions. Yet another group of studies suggest that cloud type or season may contribute to an increased absorption of near-infrared radiation. To investigate whether or not clouds absorb more sunlight than models predict, some investigators compare model calculations to aircraft measurements of reflected sunlight. But aircraft measurements are limited in their geographic scope. I realized that there were observations made on the Nimbus class of platforms, specifically Nimbus-7, that would be ideal for this kind of study.