Â鶹ӰԺ

A network approach to cloud organization

Clouds are an important component of the climate system that tend to cool the planet by reflecting incoming solar radiation back to space. The representation of shallow clouds and their radiative impact is one of the largest challenges for global climate modelling. I will describe shallow clouds as natural cellular (planar) networks - similar to skin tissue and foams. Using network parameters like the degree-distribution variance, I will quantify and compare the geometric structure of different types of shallow clouds. To explain the observed network characteristics, I will discuss how our understanding of cloud processes can be mimicked by simple rules for the evolution of cellular networks.