Cirrus cloud radiative characteristics from continuous MPLNET profiling at GSFC in 2012

S. Lolli, J. R. Lewis, J. R. Cambpell, E. J. Welton; Y. Gu


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Información básica

Volumen

V49 - N1 / 2016 Ordinario

Referencia

01-jun

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.7149/OPA.49.1.1

Idioma

English

Etiquetas

Lidar, Cirrus Clouds, Extinction coefficient, Radiative Transfer, Climate change

Resumen

Optically thin cirrus cloud (optical depth < 0.03) net radiative effect represents one of the primary uncertainties in climate feedback, as sub-visible clouds play a fundamental role in atmospheric radiation balance and climate change. A lidar is a very sensitive optical device to detect clouds with an optical depth as low as 10-4. In this paper we assess the daytime net radiative effect of sub-visible cirrus clouds detected at Goddard Space Flight Center, a permanent observational site of the NASA Micro Pulse Lidar Network in 2012. Depending on their height, season and hour of the day, the solar albedo effect can outweigh the infrared greenhouse effect, cooling the earth-atmosphere system rather than warming it exclusively. As result, based on latitude, the net effect of sub-visible cirrus clouds can be more accurately parameterized in climate models.

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