E-resources
-
Painemal, David
Geophysical research letters, 16 September 2018, Volume: 45, Issue: 17Journal Article
Fifteen years of Aqua Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy Systems (CERES) and MOderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations are combined to derive nearly global maps of shortwave albedo (A) and flux (F) response to changes in cloud droplet number concentration (Nd). Absolute ( Sa=∂A∂Nd) and relative ( Sr=∂A∂lnNd) albedo susceptibilities are computed by exploiting the linear relationship between A and ln (Nd) for shallow liquid clouds. Subtropical stratiform clouds over the eastern Pacific, eastern Atlantic, and off the coast of eastern Asia yield the highest Sr, followed by the extratropical oceans during their hemispheric summer. When Sr is cast in terms of F, the eastern Pacific clouds dominate Sr. Sa is mainly governed by Nd, with offshore clouds producing high Sa. While both Sa and Sr are advantageous for understanding radiative aspects of the aerosol indirect effect, Sr is more suitable for calculating changes in A and F due to the linearity of the A‐ln (Nd) relationship. Plain Language Summary The amount of solar radiation reflected back to space is strongly controlled by liquid clouds. These clouds are highly sensitive to changes in the environmental conditions due to both natural and anthropogenic factors. Atmospheric aerosols can regulate the cloud microstructure by modifying the number of droplets in the cloud. These changes can lead to an enhancement of the solar energy reflected by clouds. Here satellite data from two sensors are combined to quantify the amount of reflected solar radiation associated with changes in the cloud droplet number concentration. Results are shown globally, with an emphasis in the nonpolar oceanic regions, where liquids clouds tend to be more frequent. The results presented in this study can help shed light into the processes that modulate the cloud radiative response due to aerosol‐cloud interactions. Key Points CERES‐MODIS satellite data allow for the estimation of the albedo (A) response to changes in cloud droplet number concentration (Nd) Pristine environments are more susceptible to change their albedo due to absolute changes in Nd A linearly changes with fractional changes in Nd; this relationship is the strongest over the eastern Pacific, Atlantic, and coastal regions
Author
Shelf entry
Permalink
- URL:
Impact factor
Access to the JCR database is permitted only to users from Slovenia. Your current IP address is not on the list of IP addresses with access permission, and authentication with the relevant AAI accout is required.
Year | Impact factor | Edition | Category | Classification | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JCR | SNIP | JCR | SNIP | JCR | SNIP | JCR | SNIP |
Select the library membership card:
If the library membership card is not in the list,
add a new one.
DRS, in which the journal is indexed
Database name | Field | Year |
---|
Links to authors' personal bibliographies | Links to information on researchers in the SICRIS system |
---|
Source: Personal bibliographies
and: SICRIS
The material is available in full text. If you wish to order the material anyway, click the Continue button.