Cloud optical thickness feedbacks on climate: evidence from satellite remote sensing. Final report
Satellite data from the Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) experiment aboard Nimbus-7 have been used to seek evidence for cloud-radiation climate feedback mechanisms. One such feedback is microphysical, involving changes in cloud optical thickness. Theoretical results indicate that an increase in temperature, such as might occur in response to an increase in atmospheric CO/sub 2/ concentration, may be accompanied by an increase in the albedo of low and middle clouds. This temperature dependence of albedo arises from changes in cloud liquid water content and is potentially strong enough to reduce the CO/sub 2/-induced climate warming substantially. Preliminary analyses of the Nimbus-7 satellite data show some systematic dependence of cloud radiative properties on sea surface temperature, in a test region north of Hawaii. This evidence is consistent with the proposed cloud optical thickness feedback, but it is far from conclusive. To further explore such feedbacks, research should be carried out to improve and generalize the original theoretical model by adding non-black cirrus, upgrading the radiative transfer and moist convection algorithms, improving cloud microphysics, and incorporating seasonal variability and additional feedback physics. It is also feasible to seek evidence for validating hypothesized cloud feedback processes in atmospheric general circulation model integration and diagnostic studies and also in more extensive analyses of regional and seasonal variability of satellite observations of cloud properties.
- Research Organization:
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5101085
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-15818; ON: DE87001313
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CLIMATES
FEEDBACK
CLOUDS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
ALBEDO
CARBON DIOXIDE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
SOLAR RADIATION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
STELLAR RADIATION
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)