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The effect that tiny particles in Earth's atmosphere called aerosols have on clouds is not well understood. Aerosols scatter and absorb incoming sunlight and affect the formation and properties of clouds. Among all cloud types, low-level clouds over the ocean, which cover about one-third of the ocean's surface, have the biggest impact on the albedo, or reflectivity, of Earth's surface, reflecting solar energy back to space and cooling our planet. Now a new, comprehensive global analysis of satellite data has quantified how changes in aerosol levels affect these warm clouds over the ocean. [Source: NASA Climate Change News]
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