WITHERED MODELS

COMPUTER models
used by climatologists till date
have come under a
cloud.

American
researchers Peter
Pilewski of
National
Aeronautical
Space Agency's Ames
Research
Centre and
Francisco Valero of
the Scripps
Institute of
Oceanography indicate that
clouds can
absorb much more
energy - up
to 30 per cent of
the incoming
sunlight - than
previously thought.
(New Scientist, Vol
145, No 1970).
Since even a small
discrepancy in
these matters could
cause major
shifts in
atmospheric
circulation
in the tropics, the
older models will
have to go.