Q1. Consider the following statements:
1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause a warming effect.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause a warming effect.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: Low, thick clouds, not the high clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
Statement 2 is incorrect: High, thin clouds, not the low 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.