Are Clouds a Dial We Can Control to Mitigate Climate Change?

Clouds play a controlling role in the atmosphere, in large part because they cool it during daytime by reflecting sunlight to space. In recent decades clouds have been a primary target for climate modification because the addition of tiny aerosol particles to clouds can clearly be shown to make them brighter. However, clouds are highly dynamic creatures, and their overall response at the global scales that matter most to climate change is much harder to measure. and their overall response at the global scales that matter most to climate change is much harder to measure.

Tim Garrett is a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah. His research interests focus on the measurement and modeling of clouds and precipitation and their role in weather and climate.