Global temperatures for the past two years have shattered climate model predictions, with both 2023 and 2024 showing average temperatures around 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Climate change and an El Niño weather pattern are partly to blame, but researchers say a sharp drop in low-lying cloud cover is the main reason.
Analysis of satellite data suggests that Earth’s albedo – its ability to reflect solar radiation back into space – hit a record low in 2023. This decline is largely due to the melting of polar ice caps since the 1970s, which helped bounce sunlight back into space. However, researchers found a sharp fall in low-lying clouds in 2023, particularly in the Atlantic Ocean, where temperature extremes were unusually high.
This change reduced Earth’s ability to reflect radiation, leading to an increase in temperatures. The findings suggest that changes in cloud cover may be more significant than previously thought in explaining record-breaking warmth.
Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2458862-we-finally-have-an-explanation-for-2023s-record-breaking-temperatures