GCM estimate of the indirect aerosol forcing using satellite-retrieved cloud droplet effective radii

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Journal of Climate

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1995)008<1403:GEOTIA>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:95960

Boucher, O ^[1]

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1. Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique du CNRS, Paris (France)

In a recent paper, satellite data radiances were analyzed to retrieve cloud droplet effective radii and significant interhemispheric differences for both maritime and continental clouds were reported. The mean cloud droplet radius in the Northern Hemisphere is smaller than in the Southern Hemisphere by about 0.7 {mu}m. This hemispheric contrast suggests the presence of an aerosol effect on cloud droplet size and is consistent with higher cloud condensation nuclei number concentration in the Northern Hemisphere due to anthropogenic production of aerosol precursors. In the present study, we constrain a climate model with the satellite retrievals and discuss the climate forcing that can be inferred from the observed distribution of cloud droplet radius. Based on two sets of experiments, this sensitivity study suggests that the indirect radiative forcing by anthropogenic aerosols could be about -0.6 or -1 W m{sup -2} averaged in the 0{degrees}-50{degrees}N latitude band. The uncertainty of these estimates is difficult to assess but is at least 50%. 30 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 95960
• Journal Information: Journal of Climate, Journal Name: Journal of Climate Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 8; ISSN JLCLEL; ISSN 0894-8755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
CLOUDS
CONDENSATION NUCLEI
DISTRIBUTION
FORCING FUNCTIONS
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
SENSITIVITY