Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activities
warm our climate. Two effects of this warming are the increase of
clouds and the rise of water vapor in the atmosphere. Both of these
in turn influence the impacts of the man-made gases on global warming.
Clouds can reflect the sun rays away from the surface, cooling the
climate, but they also act as blankets, trapping suns
radiative heat. These various interactions are complex and not fully
understood. However, the processes are crucial in determining the
eventual overall effect of manmade greenhouse gases on the earths
climate. The detailed measurements from the Crystal-Face mission
will assist in improving our climate models. Six aircraft will be
equipped with state-of-the-art instruments to measure characteristics
of clouds and how clouds alter the atmospheres temperature.
These measurements will be compared with ground based radars, satellites,
and the results of advanced atmospheric models, in order to improve
our ability to forecast future climate change. This large multi-agency
experiment will unite seven NASA centers, NOAA, National Science
Foundation, Department of Energy, Office of Naval Research, U.S.
Weather Research Program, Universities and other government weather
researchers in this well coordinated study of our environment.
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