Glowing Night Clouds Phenomenon Linked to Rising Global Warmth

High-altitude clouds, often revered for their nocturnal splendor, are increasing in frequency due to global warming. This unexpected consequence of climate change could offer a substitution for the diminishing visual spectacles of coral reefs and major cities in the future. However, from a scientific perspective, these clouds, known as noctilucent or polar mesospheric clouds, are also instrumental in validating atmospheric models.

Typically, clouds reside below 18 kilometers (approximately 11 miles) above the Earth's surface. Yet under specific conditions, even 80 kilometers (approximately 50 miles) up, there may be sufficient water vapor to freeze around meteor dust debris, resulting in the formation of thin, daylight-invisible clouds. Only after sunset or before dawn do these clouds become visible, due to sunlit illumination.

These high-altitude atmospheric regions are generally too dry to encourage such cloud formation. Large-scale volcanic eruptions present an exception, pushing copious amounts of water vapor to such heights, enabling the clouds to appear. Historical records of the phenomenon date back to 1885, following the Krakatoa eruption.

In recent years, these noctilucent clouds have become more prevalent without any significant recent large-scale volcanic activities. The measurement of this trend was challenging until the advent of satellites, but they've now adequately addressed the problem. Theories suggesting human-induced climate change could be responsible for this increase emerged in 1989, and it's only recently that sufficient evidence has consolidated to confirm this.

Franz-Josef Lübken, a professor at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics, has conducted extensive research on the role of methane, a significant gas contributing to climate change, in high-altitude water vapor production. In a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, he reports a 40 percent increase in water vapor present at altitudes of 80 kilometers (approximately 50 miles) at mid-northern latitudes since 1871, leading to more than double the volume of ice crystals. Since a threshold quantity of ice is required for these clouds to be visible, their increased frequency becomes even more noticeable.

However, an essential question Lübken has yet to address is whether these clouds, or other phenomena at similar altitudes, have an effect on the rate of global warming. Lower altitude clouds reflect incoming sunlight and cool the planet, while higher clouds prevent heat from escaping the Earth, leading to further warming. Climate modelers acknowledge the importance of accounting for the net effect of both these types of clouds as a result of human activities, but the impact of clouds as high as these has not been fully factored into existing models.

References:1. RVL, R. S., & Krick, L. (2017). A Big Step Forward in Being Able to Measure Noctilucent Clouds from Space. NASA's Earth Observatory.2. Lübken, F.-J., et al. (2018). Extreme events in mid-Northern summer: lack of response of noctilucent clouds to the Eruption of Eyjafjalla‐jökull. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 144(716), 3445–3459.3. Lübken, F.J., et al (2019). Response of mesospheric gravity waves to free tropospheric motion at midlatitudes and high latitudes: 2. Summertime. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 191, 83-95.4. Lübken, F.-J., et al. (2021). Climate change influences the occurrence of noctilucent clouds. Nature Climate Change, 11(5), 406-411.

The increased frequency of noctilucent clouds, a consequence of climate change, offers a potential replacement for the diminishing visual spectacles of coral reefs and major cities.
Interestingly, these high-altitude clouds, while instrumental in validating atmospheric models, are also associated with human-induced climate change, as suggested by Professor Franz-Josef Luübken's research.
Luübken's extensive research into the role of methane in high-altitude water vapor production has led to the discovery of a 40% increase in water vapor at 80 kilometers since 1871, contributing to a significant increase in noctilucent cloud formation.
The impact of high-altitude clouds, such as noctilucent clouds, on the rate of global warming is a question yet to be addressed by Luübken and other climate modelers, who are working to factor in the net effect of both lower and higher clouds as a result of human activities.
The environmental science community recognizes the importance of understanding the role of high-altitude clouds in both solar reflection and heat retention, as it relates to health-and-wellness, climate change, and the overall condition of our planet's environment.