Remote sensing the susceptibility of cloud albedo to changes in drop concentration

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:7236714

Platnick, S E

The role of clouds in reflecting solar radiation to space and thereby reducing surface heating is of critical importance to climate. Combustion processes that produce greenhouse gases also increase cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations which in turn increase cloud drop concentrations and thereby cloud albedo. A calculation of cloud susceptibility, defined in this work as the increase in albedo resulting from the addition of one cloud drop per cubic centimeter (as cloud liquid water content remains constant), is made through satellite remote sensing of cloud drop radius and optical thickness. The remote technique uses spectral channels of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instrument on board the NOAA polar orbiting satellites. Radiative transfer calculations of reflectance and effective surface and cloud emissivities are made for applicable sun and satellite viewing angles, including azimuth, at various radii and optical thicknesses for each AVHRR channel. Emission in channel 3 (at 3.75 microns) is removed to give the reflected solar component. These calculations are used to infer the radius and optical thickness giving the best match to the satellite measurements. The effect of the atmosphere on the signal received by the satellite is included in the analysis.

• Research Organization: Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7236714
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290301 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety-- Regional & Global Environmental Aspects-- (1992-)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALBEDO
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
CLIMATIC CHANGE
CLOUDS
CONDENSATION NUCLEI
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
GREENHOUSE GASES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RADIATIONS
RADIOMETERS
REFLECTION
REMOTE SENSING
SATELLITES
SOLAR RADIATION
STELLAR RADIATION