For scientists studying the climate, clouds are tricky. They are hard to measure, and hard to model. Additionally, the recorded data about clouds only goes back to the 70’s and 80’s, except for the journals from old ships. The effects of clouds on climate change is complicated even more by dust, pollution, smoke, and other tiny particles in the air – aerosols – which interact with clouds, and climate, in a significant and complicated way. Learn more about the challenge of clouds in this story in Grist, featuring Atmospheric SciencesChris Bretherton. An (admittedly geeky) discussion about clouds and aerosols and their effects on climate was also published  in Science, written by Atmospheric Sciences’ Rob Wood and others.

 

dept of atmos sciences