You must have enjoyed the hovering clouds above. But have you ever wondered what crucial role they play in the scheme of things? Well, if you haven’t, don’t worry. In this article, we’ll cover all the important points regarding this wonderful phenomenon of nature.
Clouds are made of water drops or ice crystals moving around in the sky. They are distinguished by size, shape, and color. They also produce the flash of electricity and the sound of thunder that follows it. Above all, they provide water to drink, energy production, recreation, agriculture, economy, health, and better sanitary facilities.
This article will cover 15 reasons why clouds are important and how they play a vital role in the environment
15 Benefits Of Clouds For The Earth To Make You Think More
Clouds exist in outer space. They can look thin or dense. Certain types of clouds create precipitation. They play an important role in both heating and cooling the Earth. The clouds have a deep impact on our emotions. They can create both happiness and agitation. Without clouds, life on the Earth will result in chaos. It is so because they bring rain to the dry land.
This article will cover 15 different reasons why clouds are important in both our life and the environment.
1. Clouds Are Part Of Water Cycle
The clouds are the most significant part of the water cycle. Water continuously shifts from the earth to the atmosphere and reverses again.
The energy coming out of the sun results in making water on the surface evaporate into a gas. This unseen vapor rises into the atmosphere. The air is chilly there and the clouds change from a gas to a liquid. These clouds are moved by air currents all around the earth.
Water drops from the clouds and then these drops return to the ocean or land in the form of snow. The snow ultimately melts back into a liquid. It drains into a river or a lake. And eventually, fall into the ocean. Thus, it starts the cycle again.
2. Clouds Regulate Lakes And Oceans
Clouds play an important part in regulating the lakes and oceans. The water on the surface of oceans and lakes evaporates when warmed by the sun. It results in creating vapor. This water vapor rises into the atmosphere. Then clouds are formed when water vapor condenses in the atmosphere. It then turns back to the land and oceans in the shape of water or snow. Thus, the lakes and the oceans are controlled by the clouds.
3. Clouds Fertilize Land
The rain and snow brought by clouds are vital elements in the earth’s water cycle. Rainfall is the main way that the water in the skies trickles down to the earth. It fills the lakes and the rivers. Thus, it provides water to plants, crops, and animals. Invigorating the land, agriculture is also boomed.
4. Clouds Affect On Plants
Clouds create a deep impact on plants. Plant-cloud links have the capability to both cool and warm the climate. The terrestrial plants emit larger quantities of organic vapor into the atmosphere. These vapors yield particles that make effects cloud properties.
Trees in cloud forests deal with the dry season. They do it by absorbing water from clouds directly through leaves. Stressed plants can change the formation of clouds. One cause of stress is climate change.
Related Video – Why Are There Clouds?
5. Clouds Affect The Temperature
Clouds have a large effect on the temperature of the Earth’s surface. It makes them play the role of an “atmospheric blanket”. Clouds can trap light and heat from the sun. It results in making the Earth’s temperature colder.
On the other hand, some heat from the sun does reach the Earth. Clouds can catch that heat from the sun. When there is no sunlight at night, clouds are still catching heat. It leads to warm weather as it is like clouds are covering Earth in a big, hot blanket.
6. Clouds Impact On Climate
Clouds affect the climate. Changes in the climate have an impact on clouds, just as clouds affect the climate. This link is known as cloud-climate feedback. It is predicted by climate scientists that as Earth’s climate warms, there will also be a small number of clouds to chill it down.so, it is unfortunate that we can’t depend on just clouds to lessen the warming.
7. Clouds Help With Greenhouse Effect
Clouds play a significant part in Earth’s planetary greenhouse. Low dense clouds throw a cool shadow and reflect sunlight back into space. They cool the planet and the living beings beneath them.
On the contrary, high thin clouds drifting by are less cool. Such clouds cast a little shadow. They trap heat radiated from the planet below because they themselves are cold. The air temperature near the ground might actually rain.
Clouds also warm our Earth by trapping heat beneath them. Yet opposite to greenhouse gases, clouds that reflect sunlight also have a refreshing impact. Moreover, the air temperature, which has an effect on clouds, affects clouds shaping in turn.
8. Clouds Are A Major Moderators Of Energy
Clouds are a crucial feature of the climate system because they are the main moderators of energy flows through the Earth system. They form a relationship with solar and terrestrial radiative energy flows through the process of reflection, absorption, and emission.
9. Clouds Are Important To Lessen Humidity
If clouds are disappeared, the first warning sign would be humidity. It’ll even get worst if you live near the coast. By nature, the sun’s warmth evaporates water, mostly from the ocean. That water dampness is precipitated into clouds. But if clouds are excluded from the Earth’s water cycle, that water just hangs around in the air. It will result in massive humidity.
10. Cloud Seeding In Agriculture And Economy
Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification used to increase rain. This artificial method is employed to address the water challenges. The largest cloud seeding system is in China. To counter drought and a rising population in the desert, Kuwait is starting its own cloud seeding program. In Jakarta, it is used to lessen flood danger in fear of heavy floods.
11. Cloudburst In Flood Risk
A cloudburst is a massive amount of precipitation in a little period of time. Sometimes, it is followed by hail and thunder. It is capable of producing flood risks. The term “cloudburst” conveys the idea that clouds are similar to water balloons. They could also burst to lead to rapid precipitation.
12. Clouds Help In Weather Forecasting
Clouds have always been regarded as a predictor of the weather to come. Now, meteorologists examine the moving cloud patterns in satellite images to put forward daily weather forecasts. Here are some signs for forecasting weather by reading clouds:
- The fair weather is indicated by isolated and very high clouds.
The changing or worst weather condition is indicated by crowded, thick, dark, and huge clouds.
13. Clouds Provide A Soothing Sight
Apart from the scientific and environmental importance, clouds also bring splendid and optimistic sight. The pleasant weather uplifts the mood. It reduces the negative emotions of fear and stress.
14. Clouds Power In Myths
The clouds were taken as moody and also arise the imagination in old myths as well. In ancient Greece, clouds were a group of young nymphs called Nephelai, the daughters of two mighty Titans, Oceanus, and Tethys. These cloud nymphs are used to collect water from the rivers in cloudy pitchers. Then they drift them up to the heavens. When the pitchers were filled, they poured water down from the sky, invigorating the earth.
In Chinese mythology, there is a belief that dragons have the ability to create clouds with their breath. Dragons are linked with storm clouds and live-producing rain.
15. Clouds Strong Role In Literature
The imagery of clouds is employed throughout art and literature. They stand for dreamy and drowsy existence. They’re held as a symbol of burden, secretive nature, and even a confused state of mind.
White clouds are normally considered as having a positive approach. While grey clouds represent the negative attitude towards life. They put the burden on your conscience making you restless.
The Importance Of Clouds – Conclusion
Indeed, clouds are a blessing. They serve an important cause in the whole environment. They’re essential to life on our planet. Clouds protect us from the sun’s extreme heat during the day. While they also act as a shield to keep us from getting chilly. Predicting weather and providing precipitation is also one of the foremost benefits of this splendid phenomenon of Nature.
References
- https://scijinks.gov/solar-energy-and-clouds
- https://okfirst.mesonet.org/train/meteorology/Clouds.html
Hello, I am Humaira Ahsan. I have done Mater’s in English literature. Writing articles on various topics has become my passion. I love to learn and grow every moment. Hard work is my motto of life.
Leave a Reply