Correlation of cloud radiative forcing with clear-sky flux: Seasonal variations of longwave components

Abstract

AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Abstract Variations of cloud radiative forcing (CRF) have been considered important in the analysis of cloud–climate interactions. As CRF is defined to be the difference between clear-sky and total fluxes, of some concern is the contribution of clear-sky flux variations to the observed CRF variations. This study investigates the relationship between longwave (LW) CRF and clear-sky LW flux (LW CS) variations using the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) monthly mean data for the period February 1985 through to January 1989. It is illustrated that positive correlations, which are especially strong in the Northern Hemisphere mid- to high-latitude continents, are found in the extratropics, whereas strong negative correlations dominate in the tropics. These latitudinal characteristics of correlations are shown to be linked to the strength of seasonal changes of LW CS relative to the LW CRF counterpart. Further analysis demonstrates that the seasonal changes of LW CRF in the tropics are significantly correlated with the corresponding changes of clouds, and those in the mid- to high latitudes are substantially influenced by the corresponding changes of surface and atmospheric temperatures. © 1997 by the Royal Meteorological Society. Int. J. Climatol., 17: 1369–1379 (1997) (No. of Figures: 8 No. of Tables: 4 No. of