Irrigation's impact on clouds and climate

With the simple act of watering a plant, humans alter the balance of moisture in soil and the climate. Atmospheric scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory included irrigation in a climate model and found that it shifts the balance of water vapor and upward moving air. This impact, seen in dry years especially, affects the layer of air closest to Earth, which is most susceptible to heat exchange and evaporation from the Earth's surface. Their findings show that irrigation may play a role in forming shallow clouds, which alter the local climate. Including irrigation in climate models brings the models another step closer to observations.

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