Cloud properties and associated radiative heating rates in the tropical western Pacific

Journal Article · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2007 · Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 112 (Article number: D05201)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JD007555· OSTI ID:964627

Mather, Jim H; McFarlane, Sally A; Miller, Mark A; Johnson, Karen L

Radiative heating of the atmosphere affects cloud evolution on the cloud scale and it influences large-scale vertical motion. Obtaining good estimates of radiative heating rate profiles has been difficult due to a lack of cloud profile observations. The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program has been measuring cloud property distributions at sites around the globe including three in the tropical western Pacific (TWP) region. We have analyzed a month of these remote sensing observations at Manus and Nauru to calculate time series of vertical cloud property profiles and radiative heating rates. This data set will be an important tool for describing radiative processes in the tropics and assessing the simulation of these processes in dynamical models.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 964627
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-43260; KP1201030
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 112 (Article number: D05201), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 112 (Article number: D05201)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English