New Study: The Cloud Radiative Effect Is The ‘Crucial Missing Piece’ Explaining 21st Century Warming

From NoTrickZone

By Kenneth Richard

Another observational analysis finds the shortwave effect of clouds is the “the dominant term of the recent increase in absorbed solar radiation” explaining 2001-2024 warming.

According to the authors of a new study, clouds are the primary modulators of the Earth’s shortwave and longwave radiation. Thus, the radiative effects of clouds “play a crucial role in determining the Earth’s energy balance” and “dominate the radiative balance trends.”

Satellite observations indicate that from 2001-2024 there was a 0.45 W/m² per decade increase in solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. This 1 W/m² rising trend in absorbed solar radiation was primarily caused by declining cloud cover.

“The increase in the absorbed solar radiation is driven primarily by a decrease in the reflection of SW radiation by clouds.”

The shortwave cloud radiative effect (SWCRE) is thus regarded as the “crucial missing piece” in explaining 21st century warming.

“[C]hanges of only a few percent in the relative coverage of the [cloud] regimes produce large cloud radiative signatures that can dominate the radiative balance trends”