Clouds in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets. II. Thermal emission spectra of Earth-like planets influenced by low and high-level clouds

TL;DR

This study examines how multi-layered clouds affect the thermal emission spectra of Earth-like exoplanets, impacting the interpretation of surface temperatures from low-resolution spectra.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of low and high-level clouds on planetary spectra and the challenges in retrieving surface temperature information.

Findings

Cloud layers significantly alter emission spectra.

Cloud properties influence temperature retrieval accuracy.

Wavelength-dependent cloud effects are critical for spectral analysis.

Abstract

We study the impact of multi-layered clouds (low-level water and high-level ice clouds) on the thermal emission spectra of Earth-like planets orbiting different types of stars. Clouds have an important influence on such planetary emission spectra due to their wavelength dependent absorption and scattering properties. We also investigate the influence of clouds on the ability to derive information about planetary surface temperatures from low-resolution spectra.