Clouds can contribute to negative climate feedback by which mechanism?

• A. Increasing reflection of sunlight to space, cooling the surface
• B. Absorbing all infrared radiation, warming the surface
• C. Removing water vapor from the atmosphere
• D. Increasing the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration

Answer: (A)

Clouds influence the Earth's energy balance a lot through albedo and greenhouse effects. When clouds become more reflective, they bounce more sunlight back into space, so less solar energy is absorbed at the surface. That reduction in absorbed energy cools the surface and offsets some of the warming from greenhouse gases, acting as a dampening or negative feedback on the warming. It’s the albedo effect—the extra reflection of sunlight—that drives this cooling mechanism. Of course, clouds can also trap heat and warm the surface under different conditions, but the described mechanism focuses on how increased reflection reduces surface warming.