User:DeltaVeis/Cloud albedo

Cloud condensation nuclei and cloud albedo[edit]
On a microscopic scale, clouds are formed through the condensation of water on cloud condensation nuclei, which are aerosols such as dust or sea salt but also include certain forms of pollution. The size, concentration, structure, and chemical composition of these particles influence cloud albedo. For example, black carbon aerosol particles absorb more solar radiation and sulfate aerosols reflects more solar radiation. Smaller particles form smaller cloud droplets, which tend to decrease precipitation efficiency of a cloud and increase cloud albedo. Additionally, more cloud condensation nuclei increases the size of a cloud and the amount of reflected solar radiation.

Liquid Water Path[edit]
A cloud's liquid water path varies with changing cloud droplet size, which may alter the behavior of clouds and their albedo. The variations of the albedo of typical clouds in the atmosphere are dominated by the column amount of liquid water and ice in the cloud. The smaller the drops and the greater the liquid water content, the greater the cloud albedo, if all other factors are constant.