Question

Which of the following statements is incorrect? a. Photographic (visible light) cloud images are more effective than infrared ones in identifying the actual radiating surface. b. Infrared cloud images can distinguish between cold low clouds and warm high clouds. c. Thick clouds have a higher albedo than thin clouds and appear brighter on visible images. d. Examining clouds in visible light does not allow to distinguish middle and low clouds. Check My Work (No more tries available)

Answer 1

The incorrect statement is that thick clouds have a higher albedo than thin clouds and appear brighter on visible images.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement is c. Thick clouds have a higher albedo than thin clouds and appear brighter on visible images.

The albedo of a cloud refers to its ability to reflect light. Thin clouds tend to have a higher albedo than thick clouds because the light is scattered and reflected by the numerous cloud particles. As a result, thin clouds appear brighter on visible images compared to thick clouds.

On the other hand, the incorrect statements are a, b, and d. Photographic (visible light) cloud images are indeed more effective than infrared ones in identifying the actual radiating surface because visible light is directly captured by the photographs. Infrared cloud images can distinguish between cold low clouds and warm high clouds because different cloud types have different temperatures which can be detected by infrared sensors. Lastly, examining clouds in visible light does allow us to distinguish middle and low clouds, as their different characteristics can be observed through visible light observations.

Answer 2

The incorrect statement is option c. Thick clouds have a higher albedo than thin clouds and appear brighter on visible images.

Step-by-step explanation:

The incorrect statement is option c. Thick clouds have a higher albedo than thin clouds and appear brighter on visible images.

Albedo refers to the ability of an object to reflect light. Thick clouds have a higher concentration of water droplets and ice crystals, which scatter and reflect more light, making them appear brighter on visible images. Thin clouds, on the other hand, have lower concentrations of particles and therefore appear darker.

Examples of thick clouds with high albedo are cumulus clouds, which are often bright and fluffy, while thin clouds like cirrus clouds appear more transparent and less bright on visible images.