Direct observations confirm that human activity alters the energy balance of the Earth. And a low, bright cloud fall is observed.
A team of scientists from New Jersey, United States, found that the Earth is now reflected around it half a watt less of light per square meter compared to 20 years ago, and their research results were published in AGU Geophysical Research Letters.
This equates to a 0.5% decrease in Earth’s reflectance, which reflects about 30% of the sunlight that illuminates it, and most of that decrease has occurred in the past three years of data on terrestrial light.
Researchers used decades of measurements of terrestrial light – the light reflected from the Earth that illuminates the surface of the Moon – as well as satellite measurements.
The last ray of sunset rises from the clouds over the Skopje Valley, Macedonia.
For scientists, warming ocean waters have caused the Earth to dim since then fewer bright clouds reflect sunlight into space and even more energy is trapped in our planet’s climate system,
The data showed a “significant” decrease in albedo (the reflection of sunlight on Earth) of the planet in the past two decades, said the New Jersey Institute of Technology (United States), which conducted the survey.
Some sort of planetary heat map from NASA warns of human interference in weather and environmental conditions. Photo: Nasa
“The drop of albedo we were very surprised when we looked at the data from the last three years, after 17 years of almost flat albedo, “he explained Philip Goodelead author of the study, which saw the participation of the Spanish Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics.
The net sunlight reaching the Earth is affected by two factors: the brightness of the Sun and the reflectivity of the planet. The observed changes in albedo are unrelated to periodic changes in the Sun’s brightness, which means that the changes in Earth’s reflectivity are caused by something on our planet.
The study indicates that, in recent years, there has been a reduction of bright low clouds and reflecting on the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to satellite measurements made for NASA’s Ceres Project.
“Mammatus clouds on the Dolomites”. Photo by Georg Kantioler. / European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 GDT
That’s the same area off the western coasts of North and South Americain which increases in sea surface temperatures have been recorded due to the reversal of a climatic condition called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, with probable connections to global climate change.
The fact that the Earth is getting darker also implies that there is a significant amount of additional solar energy in the atmosphere and oceans, which can contribute to global warming. Edward Schweiterman I consider it “it’s quite worrying” and he recalled that, for some time, many experts had hoped that a warmer Earth could lead to more clouds and a higher albedo.
“Such an increase in albedo would help moderate warming and balance the climate system, but this proves the oppositeSchwieterman said, commenting on the study he wasn’t involved in.
Source: Clarin
