Consider the following statements:High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface

Question

Consider the following statements:High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth's surface and thus cause warming effect.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is not correct: Low, thick clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.Statement 2 is not correct: High, thin clouds primarily transmit incoming solar radiation; at the same time, they trap some of the outgoing infrared radiation emitted by the Earth and radiate it back downward, thereby warming the surface of the Earth.