Can more clouds prevent solar radiation from coming into the earths atmosphere?
Clouds absorb only 4% of the total radiation from the Sun. Clouds can also reflect solar radiation, about 17% of it. The rest is either absorbed by the surface, reflected by the surface, backscattered by air or absorbed by dust, ozone and water vapor. The amount of solar radiation coming into the atmosphere will always be the same. The amount that hits the Earth’s surface will depend on how much cloud cover there is in your area. Dust particles, pollution and the amount of carbon dioxide will also affect how much solar radiation stays in the atmosphere.
