This mystery caught the attention of scientists half a century ago, and it seems they are now finally close to solving it.
If you look at Earth from afar in space, you’ll notice that it looks incredibly equally bright. However, Science Alert writes that this is not what scientists expected to see, given the fact that the impenetrable expanses of the dark waters of the Southern Hemisphere ocean would have to reflect less sunlight.
This puzzling riddle caught the attention of scientists more than 50 years ago, in the early 1970s, when the first satellites were launched into Earth’s orbit to measure reflected solar radiation, also known as albedo. It seems that today scientists have finally managed to solve this riddle.
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Geophysicist Yochai Kaspi of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel said the new study answers an important scientific question that has plagued scientists for the past 50 years and deepens our understanding of Earth’s radiation balance and factors.
It is known that the albedo of our planet is affected by many different factors, including whether there is snow on the surface – measurements closer to the Earth’s surface reflect the difference in the reflection of solar radiation between the hemispheres. However, this does not work when viewing planets from afar.
During the study, the team collected data from several reports, including data from the NASA Terra satellite, as well as the ERA5 global weather dataset, which also included data from satellites. The researchers then compared cloud cover information from the past half-century with data on the location and intensity of storms.
The researchers used computer simulations to create a sort of balance of our planet’s albedo, based on the cyclones that create the clouds and the anticyclones that the clouds push.
According to co-author Ora Hadas, a Weizmann Institute of Science climate expert, she and her colleagues discovered that Southern Hemisphere oceans actually absorb more sunlight. However, they “create” more storms, creating thunderclouds that essentially act as reflectors. In simple terms, these clouds offset the Earth’s albedo by sending solar radiation back into space.
Hadas added that the results of his work with his colleagues show that the connection between the brightness of the Earth’s surface and the brightness of the clouds is storms – the exact solution to the symmetry that scientists have not been able to solve. last 50 years
Next, the researchers plan to focus on understanding how global warming and climate change might affect this balance of power. Various climate models suggest that further warming of the planet will lead to a reduction in the number of storms in the Northern Hemisphere and a reduction in the number of weak to moderate storms in the Southern Hemisphere. But the problem is that there will definitely be more severe storms in the Southern Hemisphere, which means that the established albedo balance will be upset.
At the same time, Kaspi notes that while scientists can’t say for sure whether the albedo balance can withstand the planet’s global warming, it will require a series of additional studies from researchers.
Previously Focus He wrote that a previously hidden structure had been discovered in the Earth’s core.
Source: Focus
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