Clouds actually have a complex relationship with Earth's temperature, acting both like a giant sunshade and a heat-trapping blanket.

• Cooling Effect: High-altitude clouds, composed mostly of ice crystals, are very reflective. They act like a mirror, bouncing incoming sunlight back into space, which helps cool the planet.
• Warming Effect: Low-level clouds, often containing water droplets, can trap some of the heat radiating from Earth's surface, similar to how a greenhouse works. This trapped heat warms the atmosphere.

The net effect of clouds is generally considered to be a cooling one, but it's not a simple equation. Scientists are still working on precisely how much clouds cool or warm the planet.

Here's how marine clouds can amplify warming:

• Marine cloud feedback loop: As the planet warms, more water evaporates from the oceans. This can lead to the formation of more marine clouds. However, these clouds may be thinner and contain more liquid droplets, which trap more heat than they reflect sunlight. This warming effect could accelerate global warming.

So, clouds are a double-edged sword for temperature regulation. Understanding cloud behavior is a crucial piece of the puzzle in predicting future climate change.

Respected Sir,

Rk Naresh

Clouds play a complex role in Earth's climate system, and their net impact on global temperatures depends on various factors, including cloud type, altitude, coverage, and geographic location. While clouds can have cooling effects by reflecting sunlight back to space (albedo effect), they can also have warming effects by trapping heat in the atmosphere (greenhouse effect).

Regarding marine clouds and their role in amplifying global warming:

Overall, while clouds can have both cooling and warming effects on the planet, understanding the dynamics of cloud feedback mechanisms, particularly over marine regions, is essential for accurately predicting and assessing the impacts of global warming on climate.

Dr Murtadha Shukur and Dr Himanshu Tiwari thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Some clouds contribute to cooling by reflecting part of the Sun's energy back into space. Others contribute to warming by acting like a blanket and trapping some of the energy of Earth's surface, amplifying the greenhouse effect. These low, thicker clouds mostly reflect the Sun's heat. This cools Earth's surface. Clouds high up in the atmosphere have the opposite effect: They tend to warm Earth more than they cool. High, thin clouds trap some of the Sun's heat. Clouds warm Earth's surface by absorbing heat emitted from the surface and re-radiating it back down toward the surface. Clouds warm or cool Earth's atmosphere by absorbing heat emitted from the surface and radiating it to space. Because a cloud usually has a higher albedo than the surface beneath it, the cloud reflects more shortwave radiation back to space than the surface would in the absence of the cloud, thus leaving less solar energy available to heat the surface and atmosphere. Thus the net effect of clouds on the climate is to cool the surface by about 5 C, at least under the current global distribution of clouds. Clouds reflect about 50 W m-2 of solar radiation up into space, and radiate about 30 W m-2 down to the ground, so the net effect is 20 W m-2 cooling on average. The impact of clouds on future warming due to greenhouse gas increases and internal variability in the climate system is complex and can both enhance and diminish warming, depending on various factors. Clouds can act as both a positive and negative feedback in the context of climate change. Marine cloud brightening harnesses natural processes, using sea spray to increase the amount of light and heat that clouds deflect from the sun, to cool and shade the coral reef below. Microscopic sea water droplets are sprayed into the air, creating a mild fog which deflects solar energy.

Clouds have a nuanced impact on Earth's climate system. While they play a crucial role in cooling the planet by reflecting sunlight back into space, thereby reducing the amount of solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface, they also contribute to the greenhouse effect by trapping heat emitted by the Earth's surface. The net effect of clouds on global temperature depends on various factors, including their type, altitude, and distribution. High-altitude clouds, such as cirrus clouds, tend to have a warming effect by trapping outgoing infrared radiation, while low-level clouds, like stratocumulus clouds, have a cooling effect by reflecting incoming sunlight. However, the overall influence of clouds on climate remains complex and can vary regionally and seasonally. Furthermore, changes in cloud cover, properties, and distribution can have significant implications for Earth's energy balance and climate dynamics, making clouds a critical area of study in climate science.

Marine clouds, particularly low-level clouds like stratocumulus, can amplify global warming through various mechanisms. One key mechanism is the cloud feedback effect. As the climate warms, these clouds may become thinner or less reflective, allowing more sunlight to reach the Earth's surface. This reduction in cloud cover or reflectivity can enhance warming by allowing more solar radiation to be absorbed by the surface, rather than being reflected back into space. Additionally, changes in atmospheric circulation patterns and ocean temperatures can influence the distribution and properties of marine clouds, further impacting their role in the climate system and potentially amplifying global warming. Overall, marine clouds represent a critical component of Earth's climate system and understanding their behavior is essential for accurately predicting future climate change.

Dr Tosrifa Jahan Jedny thank you for your contribution to the discussion