Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Greatly Accelerated Climate Warming with MORE Sunlight Hitting Earth’s Surface Due to Fewer Clouds
Climate warming continues to quickly accelerate due to strong feedbacks...
Essentially, we are experiencing "Global Brightening". Over time, the amount of the incoming solar energy (shortwave radiation) from the Sun that reaches the Earth surface is rapidly increasing. The effect of reduction of aerosols (air pollution and sulfates) means that is less direct scattering and there are fewer low level clouds and thus more warming due to indirect effects, namely fewer cloud condensation nuclei. Essentially, the "Global Dimming" effect has been replaced now with "Global Brightening".
I chat about the newest scientific research on what is happening.
Facebook post by Jan Umsonst: facebook.com/share/p/186HaxPdnU
Peer-reviewed scientific paper (Open source, free) in Geophysical Research Letters:
Observed and Modeled Trends in Downward Surface Shortwave Radiation Over Land: Drivers and Discrepancies: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL119493
Abstract
Incoming surface shortwave radiation has exhibited regionally-variable multidecadal trends and variability over land that have variously been linked to aerosols and clouds. However, limitations in the spatiotemporal coverage of the observations, combined with apparent disagreements between climate models and observations, have precluded global analyses. Here, we first demonstrate that both the variability and trends in ERA5 agree favorably with high-quality estimates from satellite and in situ sources, and then show evidence of substantial continental brightening from 1980 to 2024, including in places like the central United States, Brazil, and central Asia that do not show large trends in aerosol concentrations over the same period. The brightening in these regions is co-located with reductions in total cloud cover, and trends in both are at the edge or entirely outside an ensemble of 237 CMIP6-era climate model simulations, whose spatial pattern of trends more directly reflect the pattern of aerosol concentrations.
Plain Language Summary
Sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface, known as downward surface shortwave radiation, affects weather, solar power generation, and ecosystems. Observations show that the amount of this radiation has changed over the past several decades, but it has been difficult to assess these changes in a consistent manner worldwide because direct measurements are not available in many locations. Based on a global product that compares favorably with direct and satellite-based measurements, we find that many land areas have “brightened,” or received more sunlight, between 1980 and 2024. While this was expected for regions like Europe and the eastern US that have had large decreases in air pollution, we also identified brightening in the central United States, Brazil, and central Asia even though air pollution in these areas has not changed much. Instead, these increases align with reductions in cloud cover. The observed patterns of brightening and cloud changes are larger and differently distributed than those simulated by a large set of climate models, which tend to link surface sunlight changes more directly to pollution.
Electromagnetic Spectrum illustration: kunc.org/science/2020-07-21/long-waves-short-waves-and-heat-waves-cu-researcher-explains-weather-and-climate
Aerosol Direct and Indirect Effects illustration: researchgate.net/figure/Schematic-of-aerosol-direct-and-indirect-radiative-effects-courtesy-of-Christa_fig4_258542011
IPCC aerosol and cloud effects illustration: https://archive.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/figure-2-10.html
Earth Energy Balance graphic: mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/basic-page/earths-energy-budget
GEBA Climate Data from ground stations, on solar radiation measurements: https://geba.ethz.ch/
Happy New Year to you and yours...
From my friend Heidi:
Hello! I wanted to share something important with you. Paul Beckwith is doing incredible work to educate people about climate change and extreme weather, but he needs our support to continue this vital mission. Every donation, no matter the size, can make a difference in helping him reach more communities. Please consider clicking the link below to donate or share it with others who care about our planet. Thank you!
Year end - Year start GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-paul-...
Please donate to PaulBeckwith.net to support my research and videos connecting the dots on abrupt climate system mayhem.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. As well as my website, and YouTube, you can find me on Patreon, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit (multiple climate channels within), Quora, TikTok, Discord, Mastodon, Twitch, Vimeo, Bluesky, TruthSocial, Threads, Substack, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc...
Greatly Accelerated Climate Warming with MORE Sunlight Hitting Earth’s Surface Due to Fewer Clouds
Climate warming continues to quickly accelerate due to strong feedbacks...
Essentially, we are experiencing "Global Brightening". Over time, the amount of the incoming solar energy (shortwave radiation) from the Sun that reaches the Earth surface is rapidly increasing. The effect of reduction of aerosols (air pollution and sulfates) means that is less direct scattering and there are fewer low level clouds and thus more warming due to indirect effects, namely fewer cloud condensation nuclei. Essentially, the "Global Dimming" effect has been replaced now with "Global Brightening".
I chat about the newest scientific research on what is happening.
Facebook post by Jan Umsonst: facebook.com/share/p/186HaxPdnU
Peer-reviewed scientific paper (Open source, free) in Geophysical Research Letters:
Observed and Modeled Trends in Downward Surface Shortwave Radiation Over Land: Drivers and Discrepancies: agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL119493
Abstract
Incoming surface shortwave radiation has exhibited regionally-variable multidecadal trends and variability over land that have variously been linked to aerosols and clouds. However, limitations in the spatiotemporal coverage of the observations, combined with apparent disagreements between climate models and observations, have precluded global analyses. Here, we first demonstrate that both the variability and trends in ERA5 agree favorably with high-quality estimates from satellite and in situ sources, and then show evidence of substantial continental brightening from 1980 to 2024, including in places like the central United States, Brazil, and central Asia that do not show large trends in aerosol concentrations over the same period. The brightening in these regions is co-located with reductions in total cloud cover, and trends in both are at the edge or entirely outside an ensemble of 237 CMIP6-era climate model simulations, whose spatial pattern of trends more directly reflect the pattern of aerosol concentrations.
Plain Language Summary
Sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface, known as downward surface shortwave radiation, affects weather, solar power generation, and ecosystems. Observations show that the amount of this radiation has changed over the past several decades, but it has been difficult to assess these changes in a consistent manner worldwide because direct measurements are not available in many locations. Based on a global product that compares favorably with direct and satellite-based measurements, we find that many land areas have “brightened,” or received more sunlight, between 1980 and 2024. While this was expected for regions like Europe and the eastern US that have had large decreases in air pollution, we also identified brightening in the central United States, Brazil, and central Asia even though air pollution in these areas has not changed much. Instead, these increases align with reductions in cloud cover. The observed patterns of brightening and cloud changes are larger and differently distributed than those simulated by a large set of climate models, which tend to link surface sunlight changes more directly to pollution.
Electromagnetic Spectrum illustration: kunc.org/science/2020-07-21/long-waves-short-waves-and-heat-waves-cu-researcher-explains-weather-and-climate
Aerosol Direct and Indirect Effects illustration: researchgate.net/figure/Schematic-of-aerosol-direct-and-indirect-radiative-effects-courtesy-of-Christa_fig4_258542011
IPCC aerosol and cloud effects illustration: https://archive.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/figure-2-10.html
Earth Energy Balance graphic: mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/basic-page/earths-energy-budget
GEBA Climate Data from ground stations, on solar radiation measurements: https://geba.ethz.ch/
Happy New Year to you and yours...
From my friend Heidi:
Hello! I wanted to share something important with you. Paul Beckwith is doing incredible work to educate people about climate change and extreme weather, but he needs our support to continue this vital mission. Every donation, no matter the size, can make a difference in helping him reach more communities. Please consider clicking the link below to donate or share it with others who care about our planet. Thank you!
Year end - Year start GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-paul-...
Please donate to PaulBeckwith.net to support my research and videos connecting the dots on abrupt climate system mayhem.
Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. As well as my website, and YouTube, you can find me on Patreon, Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Reddit (multiple climate channels within), Quora, TikTok, Discord, Mastodon, Twitch, Vimeo, Bluesky, TruthSocial, Threads, Substack, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc...
