The warming of seawater has caused a decrease in the brightness of the Earth because less bright clouds reflect sunlight into space and more energy is trapped in our planet’s climate system, according to a study in the AGU Geophysical Research Letters.
The panel found that it now emits less than half a watt of light per square meter than it did 20 years ago.
This equates to a 0.5% decrease in the Earth’s reflection, which reflects about 30% of the sunlight, and the bulk of that fall has occurred in landscape light data over the past three years.
Researchers have used measurements of terrestrial light for decades – the light reflected by the Earth to illuminate the surface of the moon – as well as satellite measurements.
The data showed “Significant” decrease in albedo The New Jersey Institute of Technology (USA), which has led research on the planet (reflection of sunlight on Earth) over the past two decades, pointed out.
“The fall of the albedo took us by surprise when we analyzed data from the last three years, almost 17 years after the flat albedo,” explained Philip Goode, the lead author of the study, which also included the participation of the Institute of Astrophysics in the Spanish Canary Islands.
Net sunlight reaching the earth is affected by two factors: the brightness of the sun and the reflection of the planet.
The changes seen in the albedo are not related to the occasional change in the brightness of the sun, i.e. the variations in the Earth’s reflection are caused by something on our planet.
In recent years, the study points out Bright, reflective low clouds have receded over the eastern Pacific Ocean, Based on satellite measurements made for NASA’s Ceres project.
The same area, beyond the west coast of North and South America, has recorded an increase in sea surface temperature due to climate change known as the Pacific decimal oscillation associated with global climate change.
The fact that the earth is darkening also indicates that it exists Extra extra solar energy present in the atmosphere and oceans, Which will contribute to global warming.
Edward Sweeterman, a planetary scientist at the University of California, Berkeley, thought it was “very worrying” and recalled that for some time, many experts believed that warmer Earth would lead to more clouds and more albedo.
The increased albedo will help balance moderate warming and the climate system, “but it shows otherwise,” Sweeterman said, adding that he was not involved.
