Clouds may be affecting world temperature

17 Jun 2002

Recent studies suggest clouds may absorb 30 to 50 percent more energy that scientists previously believed, and if that's true, complex computer models that predict weather and global warming could be off considerably.

To find out just how much, a Sandia National Laboratory team measured both the reflecting and absorbing capacity of clouds. Two airplanes fly in a precision formation, nearly seven miles apart, one on top of the clouds, another below them. The two use global positioning satellite systems to keep them vertically aligned. Sensors on board the airplanes measure the amount of sun energy above the clouds and below them. Additionally, ground stations measure the solar energy striking the Earth, while a supply high-flying ER2 takes measurements at 65,000 feet. A satellite correlates the measurements. Sandia researcher John Vitko estimates it will take about ten years to determine the role Earth's clouds play in the atmosphere's temperature.