Cloud characteristics over central Amazonia during GTE/ABLE 2B derived from multispectral visible and infrared spin scan radiometer atmospheric sounder observations

Journal Article · Thu Sep 20 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD095iD10p17039· OSTI ID:6062329

Menzel, W P ^[1]; Schmit, T J; Wylie, D P ^[2]

---

1. NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Madison, WI (USA)
2. Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, Madison, WI (USA)

Multispectral GOES/Visible and Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) observations in the carbon dioxide absorption band at 15 {mu}m have been used to calculate diurnal cloud statistics over central Amazonia region for 4 days during the Global Tropospheric Experiment/Amazon Boundary Layer Experiment (GTE/ABLE IIB). The CO{sub 2} technique calculates both cloud top pressure and effective emissivity from radiative transfer principles. Transmissive clouds that are partially transparent to terrestrial radiation have been reliably separated from opaque clouds in the statistics of cloud cover. A high incidence of transmissive clouds (about 47%) was found on the average. Diurnal characteristics of cloud cover over Amazonia have been linked to convective activity over this region. On days with afternoon convection, an increase in low-altitude opaque clouds was followed by a subsequent increase in high-altitude transmissive clouds.

• OSTI ID: 6062329
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Vol. 95:D10; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BRAZIL
METEOROLOGY
CLOUDS
MONITORING
ABSORPTION
ALTITUDE
AMAZON RIVER
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CLIMATES
CLOUD COVER
CONVECTION
DAILY VARIATIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EMISSIVITY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
INFRARED RADIATION
OPACITY
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
RADIOMETERS
REMOTE SENSING
SATELLITES
TRANSMISSION
TROPOSPHERE
VISIBLE RADIATION
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
LATIN AMERICA
LAYERS
MASS TRANSFER
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIATIONS
RIVERS
SOUTH AMERICA
STREAMS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
540110*