Work

Height‐Dependent Sensitivity of Cloud Scales to Surface Temperature Anomaly Observed by Active Satellites

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: As a key macrophysical property, cloud horizontal scale plays a critical role in cloud radiative effect (CRE), precipitation and convective structures. Until now, however, how cloud scales vary with surface temperature anomaly and their subsequent impacts on CRE and precipitation remains unclear. This study fills the knowledge gap utilizing active satellite observations and finds cloud‐scale temperature sensitivity is strongly dependent on cloud height. Specifically, percentage of small‐scale clouds (<50 km) significantly decreases at low altitude but increases at high altitude, implying overall rising cloud height. The variations in low‐level small‐scale clouds account for 56.1% and 42.6% of the weakened shortwave cooling and longwave warming, while large‐scale clouds (>100 km) contribute insignificantly. Notably, robust increases in precipitation intensity occur only for low‐level large‐scale clouds, with 15.2% explained by decreased cloud optical depth, while precipitation percentage increases by 0.1%–0.5% K −1 across scales. Our results provide valuable observational constraints on cloud feedbacks.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2026gl122321