scholarly journals Factors Controlling Cloud Albedo in Marine Subtropical Stratocumulus Regions in Climate Models and Satellite Observations

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 3559-3587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frida A.-M. Bender ◽  
Anders Engström ◽  
Johannes Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Spatial Homogeneity ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Aerosol Loading

Abstract This study focuses on the radiative properties of five subtropical marine stratocumulus cloud regions, on monthly mean scale. Through examination of the relation between total albedo and cloud fraction, and its variability and relation to other parameters, some of the factors controlling the reflectivity, or albedo, of the clouds in these regions are investigated. It is found that the main part of the variability in albedo at a given cloud fraction can be related to temporal rather than spatial variability, indicating spatial homogeneity in cloud radiative properties in the studied regions. This is seen most clearly in satellite observations but also appears in an ensemble of climate models. Further comparison between satellite data and output from climate models shows that there is good agreement with respect to the role of liquid water path, the parameter that can be assumed to be the primary source of variability in cloud reflectivity for a given cloud fraction. On the other hand, the influence of aerosol loading on cloud albedo differs between models and observations. The cloud-albedo effect, or cloud brightening caused by aerosol through its coupling to cloud droplet number concentration and droplet size, is found not to dominate in the satellite observations on monthly mean scale, as it appears to do on this scale in the climate models. The disagreement between models and observations is particularly strong in regions with frequent occurrence of absorbing aerosols above clouds, where satellite data, in contrast to the climate models, indicate a scene darkening with increasing aerosol loading.

scholarly journals Quantification of Monthly Mean Regional-Scale Albedo of Marine Stratiform Clouds in Satellite Observations and GCMs

2011 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 2139-2148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frida A.-M. Bender ◽  
Robert J. Charlson ◽  
Annica M. L. Ekman ◽  
Louise V. Leahy
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
System Modeling ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Radiant Energy ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Stratiform Clouds

AbstractPlanetary albedo—the reflectivity for solar radiation—is of singular importance in determining the amount of solar energy taken in by the Earth–atmosphere system. Modeling albedo, and specifically cloud albedo, correctly is crucial for realistic climate simulations. A method is presented herein by which regional cloud albedo can be quantified from the relation between total albedo and cloud fraction, which in observations is found to be approximately linear on a monthly mean scale. This analysis is based primarily on the combination of cloud fraction data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and albedo data from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), but the results presented are also supported by the combination of cloud fraction and proxy albedo data from satelliteborne lidar [Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO)]. These data are measured and derived completely independently from the CERES–MODIS data. Applied to low-level marine stratiform clouds in three regions (off the coasts of South America, Africa, and North America), the analysis reveals regionally uniform monthly mean cloud albedos, indicating that the variation in cloud shortwave radiative properties is small on this scale. A coherent picture of low “effective” cloud albedo emerges, in the range from 0.35 to 0.42, on the basis of data from CERES and MODIS. In its simplicity, the method presented appears to be useful as a diagnostic tool and as a constraint on climate models. To demonstrate this, the same method is applied to cloud fraction and albedo output from several current-generation climate models [from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 3 (CMIP3), archive]. Although the multimodel mean cloud albedo estimates agree to within 20% with the satellite-based estimates for the three focus regions, model-based estimates of cloud albedo are found to display much larger variability than do the observations, within individual models as well as between models.

scholarly journals Improved Representation of Marine Stratocumulus Cloud Shortwave Radiative Properties in the CMIP5 Climate Models

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (16) ◽  
pp. 6175-6188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Engström ◽  
Frida A.-M. Bender ◽  
Johannes Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Marine Stratocumulus ◽  
Cloud Albedo

Abstract The radiative properties of subtropical marine stratocumulus clouds are investigated in an ensemble of current-generation global climate models from phase 5 of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Using a previously documented method for determining regional mean cloud albedo, the authors find a closer agreement with observations in the CMIP5 models as compared to the previous generation of models (phase 3 of CMIP). The multimodel average indicates regional mean, monthly mean cloud albedos ranging from 0.32 to 0.5 among 26 models and five regions, to be compared with satellite observations that indicate a range from 0.32 to 0.39 for the same five regions. The intermodel spread in cloud fraction gives rise to a spread in albedo. Within models, there is a tendency for large cloud fraction to be related to low cloud albedo and vice versa, a relationship that dampens the intermodel variability in total albedo. The intramodel variability in albedo, for a given cloud fraction, is found to be up to twice as large in magnitude in models as in satellite observations. The reason for this larger variability in models is not settled, but possible contributing factors may be imperfect representation in the models of cloud type distribution or of sensitivity to meteorological variability or aerosols. Changes in aerosol loading are found to be the likely cause of an increase in cloud albedo over time. The radiative effect of such a scene brightening in marine stratocumulus cloud regions, from preindustrial times to present day, is estimated to be up to −1 W m−2 for the global ocean, but there are no observations to verify this number.

Shortwave Radiative Impacts from Aerosol Effects on Marine Shallow Cumuli

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 1979-1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paquita Zuidema ◽  
Huiwen Xue ◽  
Graham Feingold
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Liquid Water ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Aerosol Loading ◽  
Radiative Impact

Abstract The net shortwave radiative impact of aerosol on simulations of two shallow marine cloud cases is investigated using a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model. For a shallow cumulus case, increased aerosol concentrations are associated not only with smaller droplet sizes but also reduced cloud fractions and cloud dimensions, a result of evaporation-induced mixing and a lack of precipitation. Three-dimensional radiative transfer (3DRT) effects alter the fluxes by 10%–20% from values calculated using the independent column approximation for these simulations. The first (Twomey) aerosol indirect effect is dominant but the decreased cloud fraction reduces the magnitude of the shortwave cloud forcing substantially. The 3DRT effects slightly decrease the sensitivity of the cloud albedo to changes in droplet size under an overhead sun for the two ranges of cloud liquid water paths examined, but not strongly so. A popular two-stream radiative transfer approximation to the cloud susceptibility overestimates the more directly calculated values for the low liquid-water-path clouds within pristine aerosol conditions by a factor of 2 despite performing well otherwise, suggesting caution in its application to the cloud albedos within broken cloud fields. An evaluation of the influence of cloud susceptibility and cloud fraction changes to a “domain” area-weighted cloud susceptibility found that the domain cloud albedo is more likely to increase under aerosol loading at intermediate aerosol concentrations than under the most pristine conditions, contrary to traditional expectations. The second simulation (cumulus penetrating into stratus) is characterized by higher cloud fractions and more precipitation. This case has two regimes: a clean, precipitating regime where cloud fraction increases with increasing aerosol, and a more polluted regime where cloud fraction decreases with increasing aerosol. For this case the domain-mean cloud albedo increases steadily with aerosol loading under clean conditions, but increases only slightly after the cloud coverage decreases. Three-dimensional radiative transfer effects are mostly negligible for this case. Both sets of simulations suggest that aerosol-induced cloud fraction changes must be considered in tandem with the Twomey effect for clouds of small dimensions when assessing the net radiative impact, because both effects are drop size dependent and radiatively significant.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Hemispheric Asymmetries in Marine Cloud Radiative Properties

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 4131-4147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frida A.-M. Bender ◽  
Anders Engström ◽  
Robert Wood ◽  
Robert J. Charlson
Keyword(s):  
Hemispheric Asymmetry ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Cloud Amount ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Global Climate Models ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Clear Sky

Abstract The hemispheric symmetry of albedo and its contributing factors in satellite observations and global climate models is evaluated. The analysis is performed on the annual mean time scale, on which a bimodality in the joint distribution of albedo and cloud fraction is evident, resulting from tropical and subtropical clouds and midlatitude clouds, respectively. Hemispheric albedo symmetry is not found in individual ocean-only latitude bands; comparing the Northern and Southern Hemisphere (NH and SH), regional mean albedo is higher in the NH tropics and lower in the NH subtropics and midlatitudes than in the SH counterparts. This follows the hemispheric asymmetry of cloud fraction. In midlatitudes and tropics the hemispheric asymmetry in cloud albedo also contributes to the asymmetry in total albedo, whereas in the subtropics the cloud albedo is more hemispherically symmetric. According to the observations, cloud contributions to compensation for higher clear-sky albedo in the NH come primarily from cloud albedo in midlatitudes and cloud amount in the subtropics. Current-generation climate models diverge in their representation of these relationships, but common features of the model–data comparison include weaker-than-observed asymmetry in cloud fraction and cloud albedo in the tropics, weaker or reversed cloud fraction asymmetry in the subtropics, and agreement with observed cloud albedo asymmetry in the midlatitudes. Models on average reproduce the NH–SH asymmetry in total albedo over the 60°S–60°N ocean but show higher occurrence of brighter clouds in the SH compared to observations. The albedo bias in both hemispheres is reinforced by overestimated clear-sky albedo in the models.

scholarly journals Relationship between cloud radiative forcing, cloud fraction and cloud albedo, and new surface-based approach for determining cloud albedo

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 7155-7170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Liu ◽  
W. Wu ◽  
M. P. Jensen ◽  
T. Toto
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Shortwave Radiation ◽  
Cloud Radiative Forcing ◽  
Analytical Expression ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Annual Variations ◽  
Hourly Data ◽  
Radiation Parameterizations

Abstract. This paper focuses on three interconnected topics: (1) quantitative relationship between surface shortwave cloud radiative forcing, cloud fraction, and cloud albedo; (2) surface-based approach for measuring cloud albedo; (3) multiscale (diurnal, annual and inter-annual) variations and covariations of surface shortwave cloud radiative forcing, cloud fraction, and cloud albedo. An analytical expression is first derived to quantify the relationship between cloud radiative forcing, cloud fraction, and cloud albedo. The analytical expression is then used to deduce a new approach for inferring cloud albedo from concurrent surface-based measurements of downwelling surface shortwave radiation and cloud fraction. High-resolution decade-long data on cloud albedos are obtained by use of this surface-based approach over the US Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiaton Measurement (ARM) Program at the Great Southern Plains (SGP) site. The surface-based cloud albedos are further compared against those derived from the coincident GOES satellite measurements. The three long-term (1997–2009) sets of hourly data on shortwave cloud radiative forcing, cloud fraction and cloud albedo collected over the SGP site are analyzed to explore the multiscale (diurnal, annual and inter-annual) variations and covariations. The analytical formulation is useful for diagnosing deficiencies of cloud-radiation parameterizations in climate models.

scholarly journals Subseasonal variability of low cloud radiative properties over the southeast Pacific Ocean

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 4047-4063 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. George ◽  
R. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Pressure System ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Droplet Concentration ◽  
Subseasonal Variability ◽  
Low Cloud ◽  
Macrophysical Properties

Abstract. Subseasonal variability of cloud radiative properties in the persistent southeast Pacific stratocumulus deck is investigated using MODIS satellite observations and NCEP reanalysis data. A once-daily albedo proxy is derived based on the fractional coverage of low cloud (a macrophysical field) and the cloud albedo, with the latter broken down into contributions from microphysics (cloud droplet concentration) and macrophysics (liquid water path). Subseasonal albedo variability is dominated by the contribution of low cloud fraction variability, except within 10–15° of the South American coast, where cloud albedo variability contributes significantly. Covariance between cloud fraction and cloud albedo also contributes significantly and positively to the variance in albedo, which highlights how complex and inseparable the factors controlling albedo are. Droplet concentration variability contributes only weakly to the subseasonal variability of albedo, which emphasizes that attributing albedo variability to the indirect effects of aerosols against the backdrop of natural meteorological variability is extremely challenging. The dominant large scale meteorological variability is associated with the subtropical high pressure system. Two indices representing changes in the subtropical high strength and extent explain 80–90% of this variability, and significantly modulate the cloud microphysical, macrophysical, and radiative cloud properties. Variations in droplet concentration of up to 50% of the mean are associated with the meteorological driving. We hypothesize that these fluctuations in droplet concentration are a result of the large scale meteorology and their correlation with cloud macrophysical properties should not be used as evidence of aerosol effects. Mechanisms by which large scale meteorology affects cloud properties are explored. Our results support existing hypotheses linking cloud cover variability to changes in cold advection, subsidence, and lower tropospheric stability. Within 10° of the coast interactions between variability in the surface high pressure system and the orography appear to modulate both cloud macrophysical properties and aerosol transport through suppression of the marine boundary layer depth near the coast. This suggests one possible way in which cloud macrophysical properties and droplet concentration may be correlated independently of the second aerosol indirect effect. The results provide variability constraints for models that strive to represent both meteorological and aerosol impacts on stratocumulus clouds.

scholarly journals An emulator approach to stratocumulus susceptibility

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (15) ◽  
pp. 10191-10203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska Glassmeier ◽  
Fabian Hoffmann ◽  
Jill S. Johnson ◽  
Takanobu Yamaguchi ◽  
Ken S. Carslaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Initial Conditions ◽  
Cloud Amount ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Surface Fluxes ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
Radiative Effect ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Cloud Radiative Effect ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. The climatic relevance of aerosol–cloud interactions depends on the sensitivity of the radiative effect of clouds to cloud droplet number N, and liquid water path LWP. We derive the dependence of cloud fraction CF, cloud albedo AC, and the relative cloud radiative effect rCRE=CF⋅AC on N and LWP from 159 large-eddy simulations of nocturnal stratocumulus. These simulations vary in their initial conditions for temperature, moisture, boundary-layer height, and aerosol concentration but share boundary conditions for surface fluxes and subsidence. Our approach is based on Gaussian-process emulation, a statistical technique related to machine learning. We succeed in building emulators that accurately predict simulated values of CF, AC, and rCRE for given values of N and LWP. Emulator-derived susceptibilities ∂ln⁡rCRE/∂ln⁡N and ∂ln⁡rCRE/∂ln⁡LWP cover the nondrizzling, fully overcast regime as well as the drizzling regime with broken cloud cover. Theoretical results, which are limited to the nondrizzling regime, are reproduced. The susceptibility ∂ln⁡rCRE/∂ln⁡N captures the strong sensitivity of the cloud radiative effect to cloud fraction, while the susceptibility ∂ln⁡rCRE/∂ln⁡LWP describes the influence of cloud amount on cloud albedo irrespective of cloud fraction. Our emulation-based approach provides a powerful tool for summarizing complex data in a simple framework that captures the sensitivities of cloud-field properties over a wide range of states.

scholarly journals Dependence of cloud fraction and cloud top height on surface temperature derived from spectrally resolved UV/vis satellite observations

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 17117-17146
Author(s):  
T. Wagner ◽  
S. Beirle ◽  
T. Deutschmann ◽  
M. Grzegorski ◽  
U. Platt
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Climate Feedback ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Cloud Properties ◽  
Spectrally Resolved

Abstract. Cloud climate feedback constitutes the most important uncertainty in climate modelling, and currently even its sign is still unknown. In the recently published report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC), from 20 climate models 6 showed a positive and 14 a negative cloud radiative feedback in a doubled CO2 scenario. The radiative budget of clouds has also been investigated by experimental methods, especially by studying the relation of satellite observed broad band shortwave and longwave radiation to sea surface temperature. Here we present a new method for the investigation of the dependence of cloud properties on temperature changes, derived from spectrally resolved UV/vis satellite observations. Our study differs from previous investigations in three important ways: first, we directly extract cloud properties (amount and altitude) and relate them to surface temperature. Second, we retrieve the cloud altitude from the atmospheric O2 absorption instead from thermal IR radiation. Third, our correlation analysis is performed using 7.5 years of global monthly anomalies (with respect to the average of the same month for all years). For most parts of the globe (except the tropics) we find a negative correlation of cloud fraction versus surface-near temperature. In contrast, for the cloud top height a positive correlation is found for almost the whole globe. Both findings might serve as an indicator for an overall positive cloud climate feedback. Another peculiarity of our study is that the cloud-temperature relationships are determined for fixed locations (instead to spatial variations over selected areas) and are based on the "natural" variability over several years (instead the anomaly for a strong El-Nino event). Thus our results might be especially representative for the extrapolation to long term climate changes. Climate models should aim to reproduce our findings: if substantial differences are found, this might indicate that important details are not yet well captured by these models. If good agreement is found, from the models reliable information on the magnitude and the detail mechanisms of cloud climate feedback could be gained.

scholarly journals Albedo susceptibility of Northeastern Pacific stratocumulus: the role of covarying meteorological conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhao Zhang ◽  
Xiaoli Zhou ◽  
Graham Feingold
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Meteorological Factors ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Liquid Water Path ◽  
Cloud Albedo ◽  
Low Clouds ◽  
Low Cloud ◽  
Ne Pacific

Abstract. Quantification of the radiative adjustment of marine low-clouds to aerosol perturbations, regionally and globally, remains the largest source of uncertainty in assessing current and future climate. An important step towards quantifying the role of aerosol in modifying cloud radiative properties is to quantify the susceptibility of cloud albedo and liquid water path (LWP) to perturbations in cloud droplet number concentration (Nd). We use 10 years of space-borne observations from the polar-orbiting Aqua satellite, to quantify the albedo susceptibility of marine low-clouds over the northeast (NE) Pacific stratocumulus region to Nd perturbations. Overall, we find a low-cloud brightening potential of 20.8 ± 0.96 W m−2 ln(Nd)−1, despite an overall negative LWP adjustment for non-precipitating marine stratocumulus, owing to the high occurrence (37% of the time) of thin non-precipitating clouds (LWP < 55 g m−2) that exhibit brightening. In addition, we identify two more susceptibility regimes, the entrainment-darkening regime (36% of the time), corresponding to negative LWP adjustment, and the precipitating-brightening regime (22% of the time), corresponding to precipitation suppression. The influence of large-scale meteorological conditions, obtained from the ERA5 reanalysis, on the albedo susceptibility is also examined. Over the NE Pacific, clear seasonal covariabilities among meteorological factors related to the large-scale circulation are found to play an important role in grouping favorable conditions for each susceptibility regime. Our results indicate that, for the NE Pacific stratocumulus deck, the strongest positively susceptible cloud states occur most frequently for low cloud top height (CTH), the highest lower-tropospheric stability (LTS), low sea-surface temperature (SST), and the lowest free-tropospheric relative humidity (RHft) conditions, whereas cloud states that exhibit negative LWP adjustment occur most frequently under high CTH and intermediate LTS, SST, and RHft conditions. The warm rain suppression driven cloud brightening is found to preferably occur either under unstable atmospheric conditions (low LTS) or high RHft conditions that co-occur with warm SST. Mutual information analyses reveal a dominating control of LWP, Nd and CTH (cloud state indicators) on low-cloud albedo susceptibility, rather than of the meteorological factors that drive these cloud states.

scholarly journals Chemical ozone loss in the Arctic winter 1991–1992

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 1897-1910 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Tilmes ◽  
R. Müller ◽  
R. J. Salawitch ◽  
U. Schmidt ◽  
C. R. Webster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
Lower Stratosphere ◽  
Sulfate Aerosol ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Aircraft Measurements ◽  
Ozone Loss ◽  
Aerosol Loading ◽  
Pinatubo Eruption ◽  
Significant Chemical

Abstract. Chemical ozone loss in winter 1991–1992 is recalculated based on observations of the HALOE satellite instrument, Version 19, ER-2 aircraft measurements and balloon data. HALOE satellite observations are shown to be reliable in the lower stratosphere below 400 K, at altitudes where the measurements are most likely disturbed by the enhanced sulfate aerosol loading, as a result of the Mt.~Pinatubo eruption in June 1991. Significant chemical ozone loss (13–17 DU) is observed below 380 K from Kiruna balloon observations and HALOE satellite data between December 1991 and March 1992. For the two winters after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, HALOE satellite observations show a stronger extent of chemical ozone loss towards lower altitudes compared to other Arctic winters between 1991 and 2003. In spite of already occurring deactivation of chlorine in March 1992, MIPAS-B and LPMA balloon observations indicate that chlorine was still activated at lower altitudes, consistent with observed chemical ozone loss occurring between February and March and April. Large chemical ozone loss of more than 70 DU in the Arctic winter 1991–1992 as calculated in earlier studies is corroborated here.

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