Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming

<p>Clouds play a key role in Earth's energy budget and water cycle. Their response to global warming contributes the largest uncertainty to climate prediction. Here, by performing an empirical orthogonal function analysis on 42 years of reanalysis data of global cloud coverage, we extract...

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Main Authors: H. Liu, I. Koren, O. Altaratz, M. D. Chekroun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2023-06-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/6559/2023/acp-23-6559-2023.pdf
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author H. Liu
I. Koren
O. Altaratz
M. D. Chekroun
author_facet H. Liu
I. Koren
O. Altaratz
M. D. Chekroun
author_sort H. Liu
collection DOAJ
description <p>Clouds play a key role in Earth's energy budget and water cycle. Their response to global warming contributes the largest uncertainty to climate prediction. Here, by performing an empirical orthogonal function analysis on 42 years of reanalysis data of global cloud coverage, we extract an unambiguous trend and El-Niño–Southern-Oscillation-associated modes. The trend mode translates spatially to decreasing trends in cloud coverage over most continents and increasing trends over the tropical and subtropical oceans. A reduction in near-surface relative humidity can explain the decreasing trends in cloud coverage over land. Our results suggest potential stress on the terrestrial water cycle and changes in the energy partition between land and ocean, all associated with global warming.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-b59888bb1e1e4c8e9cf60c616a4bf6ae2023-06-15T05:18:25ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242023-06-01236559656910.5194/acp-23-6559-2023Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warmingH. LiuI. KorenO. AltaratzM. D. Chekroun<p>Clouds play a key role in Earth's energy budget and water cycle. Their response to global warming contributes the largest uncertainty to climate prediction. Here, by performing an empirical orthogonal function analysis on 42 years of reanalysis data of global cloud coverage, we extract an unambiguous trend and El-Niño–Southern-Oscillation-associated modes. The trend mode translates spatially to decreasing trends in cloud coverage over most continents and increasing trends over the tropical and subtropical oceans. A reduction in near-surface relative humidity can explain the decreasing trends in cloud coverage over land. Our results suggest potential stress on the terrestrial water cycle and changes in the energy partition between land and ocean, all associated with global warming.</p>https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/6559/2023/acp-23-6559-2023.pdf
spellingShingle H. Liu
I. Koren
O. Altaratz
M. D. Chekroun
Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
title Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming
title_full Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming
title_fullStr Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming
title_full_unstemmed Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming
title_short Opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming
title_sort opposing trends of cloud coverage over land and ocean under global warming
url https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/6559/2023/acp-23-6559-2023.pdf
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AT mdchekroun opposingtrendsofcloudcoverageoverlandandoceanunderglobalwarming