Absorption of solar radiation by the cloudy atmosphere: Interpretations of collocated aircraft measurements

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/97JD01782· OSTI ID:615397

Valero, F P ^[1]; Cess, R D; Zhang, M ^[2]; Pope, S K; Bucholtz, A; Bush, B ^[1]; Vitko, J Jr ^[3]

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1. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla (United States)
2. Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook (United States)
3. Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California (United States)

As part of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Enhanced Shortwave Experiment (ARESE), we have obtained and analyzed measurements made from collocated aircraft of the absorption of solar radiation within the atmospheric column between the two aircraft. The measurements were taken during October 1995 at the ARM site in Oklahoma. Relative to a theoretical radiative transfer model, we find no evidence for excess solar absorption in the clear atmosphere and significant evidence for its existence in the cloudy atmosphere. This excess cloud solar absorption appears to occur in both visible (0.224{endash}0.68 {mu}m) and near-infrared (0.68{endash}3.30 {mu}m) spectral regions, although not at 0.5 {mu}m for the visible contribution, and it is shown to be true absorption rather than an artifact of sampling errors caused by measuring three-dimensional clouds. {copyright} 1997 American Geophysical Union

• OSTI ID: 615397
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: D25 Vol. 102; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
ABSORPTION
CLOUDS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
SOLAR RADIATION