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Global warming could effectively destroy the planet's cloud cover—producing an additional 8°C of temperature rise. This could happen this century, according to a new paleoclimate model, at a tipping point of about 4°—which would quickly become 12. (1/x) quantamagazine.org/cloud-loss-cou…
At just 8°C, humans at the equator and in the tropics would not be able to move around outside without dying. This simulation suggests four additional degrees of warming are possible, just this century.
"To imagine 12 degrees of warming, think of crocodiles swimming in the Arctic and of the scorched, mostly lifeless equatorial regions during the PETM. ... Once clouds go away, the simulated climate 'goes over a cliff."
I have been studying climate change science for several years now, with a particular interest in worst-case scenarios. I haven't seen a single feedback loop with this level of impact — or anything close to it — before.
The new paper is here: nature.com/articles/s4156…. It could be a very big deal.
The projected cloud breakup happens only at about 1200 ppm — way above where we are now. And, as others point out, if we get that high, we'll be in deep trouble in many other ways. But it is, nevertheless, a horrifying prediction. (x/x)
