Radiative effects of the cloudy atmosphere from ground and satellite based observations

Abstract

The radiation budget from surface observations and parameterizations is combined with that from satellite observations along the cruise tracks of the German icebreaker POLARSTERN in the North and South Atlantic under tropical, subtropical and mid-latitude conditions. Between 2008 and 2010 The German Leibniz-network OCEANET participated in six transfers from or to Bremerhaven, Germany to or from Punta Arenas, Southern Chile or Cape Town, South Africa. The present chapter introduces exemplarily the atmospheric measurements and resulting radiation products. The following properties are derived: Standard meteorological data, broadband downward solar and thermal irradiances, underwater profiles of spectral irradiance, latent and sensible heat fluxes, humidity and temperature profiles, water vapour and liquid water path, aerosol optical thickness and vertical profiles of aerosol optical thickness, cloud cover and cloud type. Cloud radiative effects at the surface have been determined for different marine cloud types. Together with top-of-atmosphere radiation fluxes from the SEVIRI radiometer onboard METEOSAT, the effect of clouds on atmospheric heating or cooling have been determined. The resulting cloud/radiation correlations will help to quantify the effects of clouds on the surface, ToA- and atmospheric radiation budget and to evaluate the ability of climate models to simulate these effects. © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2010.