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An ice cloud is a colloid of ice particles dispersed in air. Cirrus and noctilucent clouds on Earth contain ice particles.[1] On Earth, ice clouds are distributed globally, covering around 50% of the planet's surface.[2][3] The term has been used to refer to clouds of both water ice and carbon dioxide ice on Mars. Such clouds can be sufficiently large and dense to cast shadows on the Martian surface.[4]
Around the tropics at altitudes of 5 to 15 kilometers, the most frequently observed ice clouds are optically thin. Thicker ice clouds occur frequently in tropical convective areas and along storm tracks at midlatitudes.[2]
Effects
Ice clouds play a crucial role in a variety of processes such as the heat balance of Earth and global water cycle.
Heat regulation
Ice clouds play a crucial role in Earth's radiation balance. They can cool the atmosphere by reflecting solar radiation back to space and warm it up by blocking outgoing thermal radiation. Their effects on the climate vary significantly depending on their location; they cause heating when in the upper troposphere of the tropics, and cause strong cooling in lower altitudes.[2]
Water cycle
They also play a crucial role in the global water cycle, being involved in processes such as latent heat release, precipitation and radiative forcing.[5]
Study
Despite their crucial importance to the energy balance of Earth, ice clouds remain poorly studied. This is partly due to the complexities and variety of factors that influence them, such as temperature, humidity, and vertical wind. Several models have been made to accurately calculate the properties of ice clouds.[5][3] Some nanosatellites, such as IceCube, study the global atmospheric ice content and its effects on Earth's climate.[6] Other satellites, such as CloudSat and the CALIPSO, are used to study ice clouds.[2]
References
- ^ Tom Freeman (December 8, 2009). "New satellite to measure ice cloud particles could provide valuable new climate data". Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
- ^ a b c d Hong, Yulan (October 2017). "Ice Cloud Properties And Their Radiative Effects: Global Observations And Modeling". Ph.D. Thesis.
- ^ a b Yi, Bingqi (2022-06-22). "Diverse cloud radiative effects and global surface temperature simulations induced by different ice cloud optical property parameterizations". Scientific Reports. 12 (1): 10539. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-14608-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 9217801.
- ^ "ESA Portal - Ice clouds put Mars in the shade". European Space Agency. 16 January 2008. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
- ^ a b Wu, Banghai; Wang, Yu; Fan, Xiaoye; Liu, Shi; Fu, Yixiao (2024-11-01). "A mixing scheme of ice particle models for global ice cloud measurements". Remote Sensing of Environment. 313 114356. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2024.114356. ISSN 0034-4257.
- ^ Mohr, Karen. "IceCube | Earth". earth.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
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