"Assessing from Space the Effects of Clouds on Weather and Climate"
Clouds are the atmospheric link between the hydrological and energy cycles. Improving weather and climate forecasts requires accurate satellites measurements of various cloud properties at appropriate temporal and spatial scales. These properties include cloud horizontal and vertical structure, cloud water content and some measure of particle sizes and shapes. This talk will present analysis methods and results of satellite observations of various cloud properties; demonstrating what we think we know and what we know we do not know about clouds. Examples of the sensitivity of weather and climate prediction to these cloud properties will presented.