For the album of the same name, see Nephology (album).
Not to be confused with Nephrology.
Nephology (/nɪˈfɒlədʒi/; from the Greek word nephos for 'cloud') is the study of clouds and cloud formation. British meteorologist Luke Howard was a major researcher within this field, establishing a cloud classification system.
While this branch of meteorology still exists today, the term nephology, or nephologist is rarely used. The term came into use at the end of the nineteenth century, and fell out of common use by the middle of the twentieth.[1] Recently, interest in nephology has increased as some meteorologists have begun to focus on the relationship between clouds and global warming,[2] which is a source of uncertainty regarding "estimates and interpretations of the Earth’s changing energy budget."[3]
Since the late 1990s, some have suggested that when high solar activity lowers levels of cosmic rays, that in turn reduces cloud cover and warms the planet. Others say that there is no statistical evidence for such an effect. [1]
Some nephologists believe that an increase in global temperature could decrease the thickness and brightness (ability to reflect light energy), which would further increase global temperature.[4]
Understanding the dynamics of cloud formation is essential, as clouds play a significant role in the Earth's energy balance and climate system. Recent research has focused on how changes in cloud cover and characteristics may affect, and be affected by, the Earth's changing climate.
^
"Nephology". Oxford English Dictionary (DRAFT REVISION). Oxford University Press. September 2003. Retrieved 25 March 2007.
^Boucher, O., D. Randall, P. Artaxo, C. Bretherton, G. Feingold, P. Forster, V.-M. Kerminen, Y. Kondo, H. Liao, U. Lohmann, P. Rasch, S.K. Satheesh, S. Sherwood, B. Stevens and X.Y. Zhang (2013). "Clouds and Aerosols. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change" (PDF). ipcc.ch. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 14 November 2020. Clouds and aerosols continue to contribute the largest uncertainty to estimates and interpretations of the Earth's changing energy budget.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Clouds' role in global warming studied Archived 25 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine CNN website. Retrieved 2007-08-08
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