Consider the following statements:
1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause warming effect.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Answer is Wrong!
Answer is Right!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2022
Statement 2 is incorrect. Low clouds, such as stratus and cumulus clouds, are generally thick and made of water droplets. They have a high albedo, meaning they are very effective at reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space, thus causing a net *cooling* effect on the Earth’s surface. While they also absorb and emit infrared radiation, their dominant effect on the overall energy balance is cooling due to solar reflection.