Quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system
Abstract The net effect on the upwelling radiation caused by tropical cyclone clouds is calculated over a 20-year global data set, and the corresponding contribution to the earth energy balance is analyzed. Tropical cyclone clouds are shown on average to increase the upwelling radiation at the top o...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-07-01
|
| Series: | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00433-z |
| _version_ | 1797769554295783424 |
|---|---|
| author | Liang Hu Elizabeth A. Ritchie J. Scott Tyo |
| author_facet | Liang Hu Elizabeth A. Ritchie J. Scott Tyo |
| author_sort | Liang Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The net effect on the upwelling radiation caused by tropical cyclone clouds is calculated over a 20-year global data set, and the corresponding contribution to the earth energy balance is analyzed. Tropical cyclone clouds are shown on average to increase the upwelling radiation at the top of the atmosphere compared with the background non-tropical-cyclone-cloud climatology. This increase in upwelling radiation provides an overall cooling effect on the climate system because the increased reflected shortwave radiation (cooling) outweighs the decreased emitted longwave radiation (warming). While the effect neglects the (likely considerable) contribution due to tropical cyclone drying, the amount of cooling by clouds alone represents a considerable fraction of the excess warming energy in the climate system. Thus, any future change in tropical cyclone activity has the potential to impact the overall energy balance if it substantially alters this total. The seasonal and geographic distribution of warming and cooling effects, and the diurnal dynamics that impact whether any particular cyclone is net cooling or net warming are discussed in this study. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:10:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2daaac75a20643bf89b61a536b2011de |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-3722 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:10:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-2daaac75a20643bf89b61a536b2011de2023-07-30T11:11:03ZengNature Portfolionpj Climate and Atmospheric Science2397-37222023-07-016111010.1038/s41612-023-00433-zQuantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate systemLiang Hu0Elizabeth A. Ritchie1J. Scott Tyo2Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash UniversitySchool of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment, Monash UniversityDepartment of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash UniversityAbstract The net effect on the upwelling radiation caused by tropical cyclone clouds is calculated over a 20-year global data set, and the corresponding contribution to the earth energy balance is analyzed. Tropical cyclone clouds are shown on average to increase the upwelling radiation at the top of the atmosphere compared with the background non-tropical-cyclone-cloud climatology. This increase in upwelling radiation provides an overall cooling effect on the climate system because the increased reflected shortwave radiation (cooling) outweighs the decreased emitted longwave radiation (warming). While the effect neglects the (likely considerable) contribution due to tropical cyclone drying, the amount of cooling by clouds alone represents a considerable fraction of the excess warming energy in the climate system. Thus, any future change in tropical cyclone activity has the potential to impact the overall energy balance if it substantially alters this total. The seasonal and geographic distribution of warming and cooling effects, and the diurnal dynamics that impact whether any particular cyclone is net cooling or net warming are discussed in this study.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00433-z |
| spellingShingle | Liang Hu Elizabeth A. Ritchie J. Scott Tyo Quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system npj Climate and Atmospheric Science |
| title | Quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system |
| title_full | Quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system |
| title_short | Quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system |
| title_sort | quantifying the cooling effect of tropical cyclone clouds on the climate system |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00433-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lianghu quantifyingthecoolingeffectoftropicalcyclonecloudsontheclimatesystem AT elizabetharitchie quantifyingthecoolingeffectoftropicalcyclonecloudsontheclimatesystem AT jscotttyo quantifyingthecoolingeffectoftropicalcyclonecloudsontheclimatesystem |