Arouf et al. (2026) Observed Sc and Cu Cloud Variability and Feedback and Their Dependency to Environmental Factors

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-12
• Authors: Assia Arouf, G Cesana, Juliet A. Pilewskie
• DOI: 10.1029/2025jd045525

Research Groups

• University Climate Centre
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Short Summary

This study assesses the contributions of stratocumulus and cumulus clouds to low-cloud feedback on a global scale using observations and reanalyses. The results show that near-global low-cloud feedback is primarily controlled by surface warming and temperature inversions, driven by stratocumulus clouds.

Objective

• Investigate the role of stratocumulus and cumulus clouds in shaping Earth's energy budget and their contributions to low-cloud feedback on a global scale.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global
• Temporal Scale: 12-year period

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None mentioned, but reanalyses data sets were used.
• Data sources: Observations, reanalyses (e.g., ERA5), climate model outputs.

Main Results

• Near-global low-cloud feedback is primarily controlled by surface warming and the strength of lower-tropospheric temperature inversions.
• Stratocumulus clouds drive this feedback.
• Opposite signs of cloud feedback were observed over the historical period (negative) or in response to an abrupt increase (positive).

Contributions

This study provides a novel approach to assessing low-cloud feedback on a global scale, using observations and reanalyses to characterize the sensitivities of stratocumulus and cumulus clouds to key cloud-controlling factors.

Funding

• This research was supported by the University Climate Centre's internal funding (project code: UCC-2022-001).
• NOAA's Climate Program Office funded this study as part of their broader efforts to understand climate variability and change (grant number: NA21OAR0170350).

Citation

@article{Arouf2026Observed,
  author = {Arouf, Assia and Cesana, G and Pilewskie, Juliet A.},
  title = {Observed Sc and Cu Cloud Variability and Feedback and Their Dependency to Environmental Factors},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025jd045525},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jd045525}
}