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Cirrus feedback on interannual climate fluctuations
Author(s) -
Zhou C.,
Dessler A. E.,
Zelinka M. D.,
Yang P.,
Wang T.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl062095
Subject(s) - cirrus , tropopause , cloud feedback , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , climatology , troposphere , outgoing longwave radiation , climate change , cloud cover , optical depth , global warming , cloud forcing , satellite , climate model , climate sensitivity , meteorology , cloud computing , geology , physics , convection , aerosol , computer science , oceanography , astronomy , operating system
Cirrus clouds are not only important in determining the current climate but also play an important role in climate change and variability. Analysis of satellite observations shows that the amount and altitude of cirrus clouds (cloud optical depth < 3.6, cloud top pressure < 440 hPa) increase in response to interannual surface warming. Using cirrus cloud radiative kernels, the magnitude of the interannual cirrus feedback is estimated to be 0.20 ± 0.21 W/m 2 /°C, which represents an important component of the cloud feedback. Thus, cirrus clouds are likely to act as a positive feedback on interannual climate fluctuations, by reducing the Earth's ability to radiate longwave radiation to space in response to planetary surface warming. Most of the cirrus feedback comes from increasing cloud amount in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) and subtropical upper troposphere.