The cloud Close Down to Earth

The sky appears as it slowly fell. Because, over a span of 10 years, cloud height decreases. Decrease in these clouds could have an important effect on global warming.

If the next observation showed that the clouds actually experienced deterioration, the effect can be made ​​more efficient cooling of the Earth as well as offset the warming caused by greenhouse gases.

"We do not know for sure what caused the cloud height is reduced. But it must be caused by changes in circulation patterns that enhance cloud formation at high altitude," said Roger Davies, a researcher from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

The issue of understanding the Earth's weather, cloud ayng is something unpredictable. Presence of a short time makes it difficult to trace, besides other factors such as altitude and location made ​​a big difference in slowing or exacerbate the effects of global warming.

For a decade, Multi Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Terra spacecraft NASA has been observing clouds on Earth. Davies and colleagues have analyzed the results of measurements of the cloud for 10 years (March 2000 to February 2010) carried out through the plane.

They found that the average height of the clouds down approximately one percent for more than a decade (about 30 to 40 meters). Most of the reduction came from reduced cloud formation at high altitudes.