Assessing climate system responses through two decades of cirrus cloud radiative forcing observations from MPLNET

Abstract

This study investigates long-term trends in the radiative effects and optical properties of cirrus clouds using a 20-year dataset (2003–2022) from the Micropulse Lidar Network (MPLNET) site at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Our analysis reveals statistically significant decreasing trends in the net cloud radiative effect (CRE) at both the top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) and the surface (SFC), with decline rates of up to -0.037W m⁻² yr⁻¹ at the TOA and -0.068W m⁻² yr⁻¹ at the SFC. We also identified a persistent decline in surface albedo, particularly during the winter months, suggesting a reduction in snow and ice cover. Although the macrophysical properties of the cirrus clouds, such as temperature and altitude, remained stable, the observed radiative trends highlight a complex interplay between surface albedo, cloud radiative forcing, and regional climate dynamics.