Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ACP
Articles | Volume 26, issue 10
Articles | Volume 26, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6951-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6951-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 26, issue 10
Research article
 | 
22 May 2026
Research article |  | 22 May 2026

Toward less subjective metrics for quantifying the shape and organization of clouds

Thomas D. DeWitt, Timothy J. Garrett, and Karlie N. Rees

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Short summary
Clouds appear chaotic, but they in fact follow fractal mathematical patterns similar to coastlines. We measured their fractal properties using satellite images and found two key numbers that describe cloud shapes: one for how rough individual cloud edges are, and another for how clouds of different sizes organize together. We recommend methodology that provides objective ways to verify whether climate models accurately simulate real clouds.
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