Clouds hover over San Francisco, with skyline peeking through — Clouds hover over San Francisco. Low clouds, like those often covering California's coast, are among the most important clouds for climate change and the planet's energy balance. (Getty Images)

The Lightness of Water Vapor Adds Heft to Global Climate Models

Climate Models Without the Lightness of Water Vapor Risk Uncertainty in Cloud Simulations

by Kat Kerlin
October 24, 2022

"Clouds are notoriously hard to pin down, especially in climate science.

A study from the University of California, Davis, and published in the journal Nature Geoscience shows that air temperature and cloud cover are strongly influenced by the buoyancy effect of water vapor, an effect currently neglected in some leading global climate models.

Global climate models are the primary tools used to study Earth’s climate, predict its future changes and inform climate policymaking. However, climate models often differ on the precise degree of future warming, largely due to their representation of clouds."

Read the full story at UC Davis News