Global Warming

Cloud Study Suggests Global Warming May Be Worse Than Previously Believed

Climate models may have significantly miscalculated the effect of clouds in global warming, a new report revealed. This means future global temperatures could actually be worse than previously believed.

Researchers at Yale University examined a number of global climate projections, as well as satellite data. Studying the make-up of mixed-phase clouds, they found that clouds today actually hold more liquid, instead of ice.

Mixed-phase clouds typically consist of ice particles, liquid droplets, and water vapour. How is more liquid on clouds bad?

Clouds with more ice crystals are effective in reflecting sunlight than clouds with more liquid, acting as a shield to prevent too much light from the sun from reaching the Earth. Researchers said the more ice there is in clouds, the less warming there will be on the surface of the Earth.

Current climate models underestimate the role of clouds in global warming. Existing studies have over-estimated the prevalence of ice crystals in clouds, suggesting that global warming may be substantially worse than previously believed.