The effect of cloud type on earth's energy balance: Global analysis

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Climate; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1992)005<1281:TEOCTO>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6624998

Hartmann, D L; Ockert-Bell, M E; Michelsen, M L ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle (United States)

The role of fractional area coverage by cloud types in the energy balance of the earth is investigated through joint use of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Cl cloud data and Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) broadband energy flux data for the one-year period March 1985 through February 1986. Multiple linear regression is used to relate the radiation budget data to the cloud data. Comparing cloud forcing estimates obtained from the ISCCP-ERBE regression with those derived from the ERBE scene identification shows generally good agreement except over snow, in tropical convective regions, and in regions that are either nearly cloudless or always overcast. It is suggested that a substantial fraction of the disagreement in longwave cloud forcing in tropical convective regions is associated with the fact that the ERBE scene identification does not take into account variations in upper-tropospheric water vapor. On a global average basis, low clouds make the largest contribution to the net energy balance of the earth, because they cover such a large area and because their albedo effect dominates their effect on emitted thermal radiation. High, optically thick clouds can also very effectively reduce the energy balance, however, because their very high albedos overcome their low emission temperatures.

• OSTI ID: 6624998
• Journal Information: Journal of Climate; (United States), Vol. 5:11; ISSN 0894-8755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CLOUDS
LEVELS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY BALANCE
GLOBAL ASPECTS
VARIATIONS
ALBEDO
CLOUD COVER
GLOBAL ANALYSIS
LONG WAVE RADIATION
NET ENERGY
THERMAL RADIATION
TROPICAL REGIONS
WATER VAPOR
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY
ENERGY ANALYSIS
FLUIDS
GASES
MATHEMATICS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
VAPORS
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