Narrow- and broad-band satellite measurements of shortwave radiation: Conversion simulations with a general circulation model

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1986)025<1977:NABBSM>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:7022034

Cess, R D; Potter, G L

The Oregon State University/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory general circulation model has been employed as a vehicle for suggesting and exploring various means of converting narrow-band measurements of reflected solar radiation from the earth-atmosphere system to broad-band quantities. For purely illustrative purposes we have adopted, within the model's solar radiation routine, a narrow-band filter function consisting of a square-wave window extending from 0.5 to 0.9 ..mu..m. A limitation of the model, for this sort of endeavor, is that is does not include the wavelength dependence of surface albedos. Nevertheless, the model simulations tend to mimic the calibration of a narrow-band instrument, utilizing reflected solar radiation from the earth-atmosphere system as simultaneously measured by a collocated broad-band instrument; for the model, however, this is done in terms of fluxes, in contrast to instrument-measured radiances. The model results suggest that it might be preferable to perform narrow- to broad-band conversions in terms of planetary albedo (or an equivalent quantity), rather than in terms of reflected fluxes or radiances. Further improvement is achieved if, for instruments that can differentiate between clear and overcast conditions, separate clear and overcast calibrations are performed.

• Research Organization: Laboratory for Planetary Atmospheres Research, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794
• OSTI ID: 7022034
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Meteorol.; (United States) Vol. 25:12; ISSN JAMOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640200* -- Atmospheric Physics
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALBEDO
ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
REFLECTION
SHORT WAVE RADIATION
SIMULATION
SOLAR RADIATION
STELLAR RADIATION