Stratocumulus clouds lie at low-altitudes below 6000 feet, and are highly reflective. They cover about 20% of the low-latitude oceans, or 6.5% of Earth’s surface.

Some are low-level clouds that exist below 6,500 feet, such as cumulus, stratus, and stratocumulus. Others are mid-level—including altocumulus, nimbostratus, and altostratus—and appear between ...

Above: Marine stratocumulus clouds from the Pacific Ocean stream atop Chile’s Atacama Desert. Marine stratocumulus cover vast swaths of the tropical and subtropical oceans, where they reflect ...

But stratocumulus clouds, which hover low in the sky and create vast decks of cloud cover, have a supreme value in our warming world: Their white tops reflect lots of solar radiation back into space.

Stratocumulus clouds act like a shade umbrella for the planet. The low clouds reflect some 30 to 60 percent of sunlight back into space. Although they are Earth’s most frequent cloud type and cover ...

Stratocumulus clouds are unique among their peers — their cloud decks are sustained by cool air flitting over the top, and they sweat their excess heat back into the cooler atmosphere.

According to the study, entitled Possible Climate Transitions from Breakup of Stratocumulus Decks under Greenhouse Warming, decks of stratocumulus clouds, which cover about 20 percent of the low ...

Stratocumulus clouds — the large, blanket-like clouds that cool the Earth — are disappearing as CO2 increases. By Greta Moran. Published March 12, 2019 3:00AM (EDT) ...

Stratocumulus clouds are Earth’s most common cloud and cover about 20 percent tropical oceans — reflecting between 30 and 60 percent of shortwave radiation back into space.

If stratocumulus clouds break up, the model predicts we'll be left with scattered cumulus clouds — pretty, but not great for reflecting sunlight. Flickr / Ron Cogswell. Cloud Controversy.