Written by Rebekah Hyuna Lee
Over the past two years, global
temperatures have soared far above scientists’ expectations, and by summer,
2024 was headed to surpass 2023, the hottest year on record.
Scientists found that even after
considering the anticipated effects of greenhouse gases and El Niño, a small
portion of warming observed in 2023 remained unexplained.
A recent study that cloud has decreased
over the past two years provides an explanation for the additional warming.
Less cloud coverage results in less sunlight being reflected back to space,
allowing more to reach Earth’s surface.
The study proposes three possible reasons
for the fewer clouds, based on analyses of climate models and NASA satellite
data that measure Earth’s reflectivity.
The first possibility suggests a temporary
deviation of a natural process, causing fewer clouds to form.
The second possibility points to decreased
atmospheric pollution of sulfur as a result of limits imposed in
2020 on the sulfur content permitted in maritime fuels as having an inadvertent
effect on the formation of clouds.
The third possibility suggests unknown
feedback loops in the climate system that could lead to a decrease in clouds
due to global warming.
Uncertainty surrounds whether these
increases are temporary or long-term, with 2023 temperatures already 2.12°F
higher than the 20th-century average. Despite efforts to decrease emissions,
global temperatures are on course to surpass the 1.5°C target of the Paris
Agreement, highlighting the need for urgent action.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/climate-change/why-hot-high-temperatures-cloud-cover-decreased-rcna182937
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