Absorption of solar radiation in the atmosphere in the presence of broken clouds

T. B. Zhuravleva

doi:10.1117/12.332689

14 December 1998 Absorption of solar radiation in the atmosphere in the presence of broken clouds

T. B. Zhuravleva

Proceedings Volume 3495, Satellite Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere III; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.332689
Event: Remote Sensing, 1998, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Two approaches are used to study the ratio r of radiative forcings at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and at the underlying surface. According to regression approach to r determination, the cloud random geometry has little effect on the ratio of radiative forcings. The other approach assumes that r depends not only on absorption change due to occurrence of clouds in the clear atmosphere, but also no associated albedo alternations at TOA. For this reason, the r difference between cumulus and stratus clouds, while being small at low surface albedos A_s <EQ 0.2, may increase by tens of percent as A_s increases for optically thin clouds and small cloud fractions when solar zenith angle (xi) (direct sum) <EQ 30 degrees. After the ratio of radiative forcings is averaged over the entire set of cloud optical and geometrical characteristics, the dependence of r on cloud type becomes much weaker.

Citation Download Citation

T. B. Zhuravleva "Absorption of solar radiation in the atmosphere in the presence of broken clouds", Proc. SPIE 3495, Satellite Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere III, (14 December 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.332689

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