A new study from researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel found a significant statistical correlation between thunderstorms occurring around the world and the formation of wispy cirrus clouds, which can contribute to global warming.
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The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, was led by Prof. Colin Price from Tel Aviv University. The researchers used data from the NASA satellite ISS-LIS to track thunderstorm activity worldwide over a period of 6 years. They then compared this data with data on cirrus clouds to look for a correlation.
The researchers found that there is a statistically significant correlation between the number of thunderstorms and the amount of cirrus clouds in the atmosphere. This means that thunderstorms, which are easy to detect and measure, can be used as a reliable indicator for the amount of cirrus clouds in the atmosphere, both today and in the future.
This is important because cirrus clouds have a significant impact on the Earth’s climate. An increase in cirrus clouds will act as a blanket, trapping heat and increasing warming. A decrease in cirrus clouds will allow the heat of the Earth to rise and escape from the atmosphere.
Cirrus clouds are formed when water vapor in the upper atmosphere freezes into ice crystals. This can happen when warm, moist air rises and cools rapidly. Cirrus clouds can also be formed by contrails, which are the trails of condensation left behind by airplanes.
The overall impact of cirrus clouds on climate is complex and depends on a number of factors, such as the altitude, thickness, and optical properties of the clouds. Scientists are still working to understand the full impact of cirrus clouds on climate change.
The researchers say that their findings could be used to develop new models to predict how cirrus clouds will respond to climate change. This information could then be used to develop strategies to mitigate the effects of global warming.
Prof. Price explained that Cirrus clouds, those feathery clouds we see in the sky, significantly impact the earth’s climate. An increase of these clouds will act as a blanket that increases warming, while a decrease will allow the heat of the Earth to rise and escape from the atmosphere.
This is why climate researchers are highly interested in cirrus clouds, trying to predict potential changes due to the rise in greenhouse gases and global warming.
To address this challenge the researchers explored the possibility of predicting the quantity of cirrus clouds on the basis of readily available data about thunderstorms and lightning activity. They explain that the brilliant flash of lightning is formed when a huge electric field is discharged instantaneously, generating a very high temperature of up to 30,000 degrees Centigrade in the lightning channel. The light waves and radio waves emitted by the lightning discharge can be detected even thousands of kilometers away, enabling long-term monitoring and mapping of thunderstorms.
The present study is based on thunderstorm data collected worldwide over a period of 6 years by the NASA satellite ISS-LIS that detects the light emitted by lightning. The researchers compared these data with data on cirrus clouds (the partial information available combined with supplementary models), looking for a correlation between lightning activity on a specific day, month, or year, and the amount of cirrus clouds formed in the upper atmosphere. Findings indicate a statistically significant correlation, with the quantity of cirrus clouds increasing with the number of thunderstorms. According to the researchers, this means that thunderstorms, which are easy to detect and measure, can in fact be used as a reliable indicator for the amount of cirrus clouds in the atmosphere, today and in the future.
