... Images of Clouds from Space . ... However, contemporary thinking suggests that the lower altitude cumulus clouds (such as pictures Thunderstorms, Brazil and Cumulus Cloud Tops ) have a net cooling effect on Earth's surface, reflecting heat back to space. ... Current data suggest that the cooling effects of great masses of cumulus storm clouds over the ocean at mid latitudes outweigh the heating effects of the upper-level cirrus clouds when considered on a global scale. ... Courtesy LPI/NASA. ...