How our Darkening (Lower Albedo) Earth is Accelerating Climate Mayhem @PaulHBeckwith

Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

How our Darkening (Lower Albedo) Earth is Accelerating Climate Mayhem

The Earth is literally getting darker. Darker materials have lower reflectance (albedo) for incoming solar radiation (short-wave radiation). Thus, there is more absorption of the sunlight and greater heating.

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Links:

Phys.org article: The Earth is reflecting less and less sunlight, study reveals
phys.org/news/2025-09-earth-sunlight-reveals.html

Peer-reviewed PNAS science paper: Emerging hemispheric asymmetry of Earth’s radiation
pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2511595122

Abstract
Twenty-four years of satellite observations from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System show a northern hemisphere (NH) minus southern hemisphere (SH) trend difference of 0.34 ± 0.23 Wm−2 dec−1 (5 to 95% CI) in absorbed solar radiation (ASR) and a weaker trend difference of 0.21 ± 0.21 Wm−2 dec−1 in outgoing longwave radiation. The emerging darkening of the NH relative to the SH is associated with changes in hemispheric differences in aerosol–radiation interactions, surface albedo, and water vapor changes. Cloud changes also contribute to a greater ASR hemispheric contrast, but the magnitude is small due to opposing trend differences in the tropics
and extra-tropics. The break in hemispheric symmetry in ASR challenges the notion that clouds naturally compensate for forced hemispheric asymmetries in non-cloud properties. Hemispheric (a)symmetry in radiation is linked with the atmosphere–ocean general circulation. How clouds respond to this hemispheric imbalance has important implications for future climate.

Phys.org article: Hunga volcano eruption's unexpected Southern Hemisphere cooling effect challenges geoengineering assumptions
phys.org/news/2025-04-hunga-volcano-eruption-unexpected-southern.html

Peer-reviewed Nature science paper: The January 2022 Hunga eruption cooled the southern hemisphere in 2022 and 2023
nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02181-9

Abstract
The 2022 Hunga volcanic eruption injected a significant quantity of water vapor into the stratosphere while releasing only limited sulfur dioxide. It has been proposed that this excess water vapor could have contributed to global warming, potentially pushing temperatures beyond the 1.5 °C threshold of the Paris Climate Accord. However, given the cooling effects of sulfate aerosols and the contrasting impacts of ozone loss (cooling) versus gain (warming), assessing the eruption’s net radiative effect is essential. Here, we quantify the Hunga - induced perturbations in stratospheric water vapor, sulfate aerosols, and ozone using satellite observations and radiative transfer simulations. Our analysis shows that these components induce clear-sky instantaneous net radiative energy losses at both the top of the atmosphere and near the tropopause. In 2022, the Southern Hemisphere experienced a radiative forcing of −0.55 ± 0.05 W m⁻² at the top of the atmosphere and −0.52 ± 0.05 W m⁻² near the tropopause. By 2023, these values decreased to −0.26 ± 0.04 W m⁻² and −0.25 ± 0.04 W m⁻², respectively. Employing a two-layer energy balance model, we estimate that these losses resulted in cooling of about −0.10 ± 0.02 K in the Southern Hemisphere by the end of 2022 and 2023. Thus, we conclude that the Hunga eruption cooled rather than warmed the Southern Hemisphere during this period.

AGU peer-reviewed science paper: The Construction of 20-year Daily Surface Albedo Along PANDA Transect, Antarctica
agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2024JD042863

Article: The planet's lower reflectivity is causing a sharp increase in global warming
helmholtz.de/en/newsroom/article/the-planets-lower-reflectivity-is-causing-a-sharp-increase-in-global-warming

Science article: Recent global temperature surge intensified by record-low planetary albedo
science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq7280

Quick bite albedo comparison: https://mosaic.colorado.edu/quick-bite-albedo-comparison

Wikipedia albedo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albedo

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...

Climate Extremes, Global Food Price Spikes, and their Wider Knock-On (Cascading) Societal Risks

Wildfire Smoke Chokes Millions of People: I Show You Tools on How to Assess the Risks in your Region

Jet Streams Connect European Heat Waves & Atlantic Ocean Cold Blob & North American Heat Waves: Chat

$Speaking Science Truth in a Fractured World: What Works and What Doesn’t… Speaking Science Truth in a Fractured World: What Works and What Doesn’t… Suppose you are at a dinner party with family and close friends. An uncle claims: ‘The Government is spraying us (chemtrails). Lines in the sky from airplanes are evidence of chemical spraying for weather control or mind manipulation. Or you are at a backyard BBQ or casual setting, and a cousin shows you a TikTok video, saying: ‘You ever notice those lines in the sky? That’s not normal. They’re spraying us.’ How do you engage without mocking or escalating the situation? If you mock or sneer, then you only succeed in having a yelling match, whereby their erroneous views become more entrenched. Here is what you can try instead... Start with curiosity: ‘I’ve seen those videos too. What made you wonder about them?’ Explain the science: Contrails form from water vapor condensing behind high-altitude jets. They’re especially visible on humid or cold days. Model critical thinking: ‘If this were real, how would we know? Who benefits? Is there independent evidence?’ Offer better sources: Suggest science explainer accounts or videos that calmly debunk common myths. Avoid ridicule: Stay calm and curious – mockery entrenches belief. You’re planting seeds, not winning debates. I chat about a peer-reviewed scientific paper that summarizes techniques like this that were discussed at a recent conference of biologists and stem cell researches, with universally applicable tips. Please donate to http://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... Sources: Journal: The Company of Biologists: Speaking science in a fractured world: making truth land when facts alone cannot https://journals.biologists.com/dev/article/152/19/dev205206/369354/Speaking-science-in-a-fractured-world-making-truth ABSTRACT Scientific misinformation is a defining challenge of our time. As public trust in science declines and falsehoods spread faster than facts, the scientific community must rethink its role in public discourse. This Perspective draws on a scenario-based workshop entitled ‘Truth Matters: Strengthening Science Communication to Counter Misinformation’, conducted at the 20th International Congress of Developmental Biology in San Juan, Puerto Rico (June 2025), designed to train scientists in emotionally attuned, culturally responsive and effective communication strategies. At the joint conference with the International Society of Developmental Biology, the Society for Developmental Biology and the Latin American Society for Developmental Biology, we explored why misinformation persists, how identity and social belonging shape belief, and why empathy, not just evidence, is essential to making truth resonate. Here, we offer a call to action along with practical tools: to make scientific knowledge meaningful, we must communicate effectively and ensure it resonates with the broader public. KEY WORDS: Misinformation, Science communication, Truth, Facts, Empathy PEW Research Center article: Most Americans say Republican and Democratic voters cannot agree on basic facts https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/30/most-americans-say-republican-and-democratic-voters-cannot-agree-on-basic-facts/ PEW Research Center article: News Platform Fact Sheet https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/news-platform-fact-sheet/ PEW Research Center Report: Public Trust in Scientists and Views on their Roles in Policymaking: Trust moves slightly higher but remains lower than before the pandemic https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/11/PS_2024.11.14_trust-in-science_REPORT.pdf Please donate to http://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...$

Prediction — 2026 is on Track to be the Warmest Year Yet — New Physics Analysis by Hansen & his Team

How Increasing Ocean Stratification Is Harmful to Marine Life and Carbon Sequestration

NEW Report: State of the Climate 2024: An Awesome, Detailed, Extensive, New, Peer-Reviewed Report

Climate Change Disruption and Acceleration Updates Around the Planet: the latest and not so greatest

$Profound Change in Global Weather Statistics: Large Fraction of Earth Gets Higher Heat and More Rain Profound Change in Global Weather Statistics: Large Fraction of Earth Gets Higher Heat and More Rain Clearly, extreme weather extremes are on the rise around the globe, affecting much larger fractions of the Earth surface and more people and infrastructure. In this video I chat about increases in heat events with temperatures over 30 C (86 F) and extreme heat events with temperatures over 40 C (104 F). I also chat about increases in extreme precipitation events, with 24 hour rainfall over 50 mm (about 2 inches) and in even more extreme events with rainfall over 90 mm (about 3.5 inches). The time frame from 1980 onward is examined in the peer-reviewed scientific paper. Please donate to http://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... Links: Peer reviewed scientific paper in journal Science Advances: Global record-breaking recurrence rates indicate more widespread and intense surface air temperature and precipitation extremes Abstract We analyzed the evolution of extreme annual surface air temperature and rainfall on Earth, based on the recurrence rate of record-breaking events, and found the highest recurrence rates for record-high annual temperatures in the tropics, as opposed to the polar regions with the fastest warming. Both recurrence rates and the global surface area fraction with daily mean surface air temperatures exceeding 30° and 40°C provide further evidence for extremely hot years becoming more common and widespread. A similar analysis for precipitation highlighted some regions with more record-high annual total precipitation and others with record-low annual precipitation typically associated with drought. A multi-model ensemble of 306 runs with global climate models [Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP) Shared Socioeconomic Pathways 2-45 (SSP2-45)] reproduced the statis-tics of record- breaking high temperatures, but there were some differences for the reanalysis precipitation record-breaking recurrence rates. The global climate model simulations suggested a slightly altered geographical pattern for record-breaking annual precipitation recurrence rates. https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.ado3712 Image in article on statistical shifts, variance shifts, and bell curve shape distortions, affecting the statistics of extreme weather https://climatesight.org/2012/04/03/climate-change-and-heat-waves/ Please donate to http://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...$

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ongoing Climate Change Acceleration and Impacts

Earth Energy Imbalance (EEI) Trends and Differences between Northern and Southern Hemispheres