Thermodynamic regulation of ocean warming by cirrus clouds deduced from observations of the 1987 El Nino

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Observations made during the 1987 El Niño show that in the upper range of sea surface temperatures, the greenhouse effect increases with surface temperature at a rate which exceeds the rate at which radiation is being emitted from the surface. In response to this 'super greenhouse effect', highly reflective cirrus clouds are produced which act like a
thermostat, shielding the ocean from solar radiation. The regulatory effect of these cirrus clouds may limit sea surface temperatures to less than 305 K.

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External URL: 
http://lightning.sbs.ohio-state.edu/geo622/paper_thermostat_Ramanathan1991.pdf
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Publication Date: 
02/05/1991