Improved estimates and understanding of global albedo and atmospheric solar absorption

Abstract

This study integrates available surface‐based and satellite observations of solar radiation at the surface and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) with a comprehensive set of satellite observations of atmospheric and surface optical properties and a Monte Carlo Aerosol‐Cloud‐Radiation (MACR) model to estimate the three fundamental components of the planetary solar radiation budget: Albedo at the TOA; atmospheric solar absorption; and surface solar absorption. The MACR incorporates most if not all of our current understanding of the theory of solar radiation physics including modern spectroscopic water vapor data, minor trace gases, absorbing aerosols including its effects inside cloud drops, 3‐D cloud scattering effects. The model is subject to a severe test by comparing the simulated solar radiation budget with data from 34 globally distributed state‐of‐the art BSRN (Baseline Surface Radiation Network) land stations which began data collection in the mid 1990s. The TOA over these sites were obtained from the CERES (Cloud and Earth's Radiant Energy System) satellites. The simulated radiation budget was within 2 Wm−2for all three components over the BSRN sites. On the other hand, over these same sites, the IPCC‐2007 simulation of atmospheric absorption is smaller by 7–8 Wm−2. MACR was then used with a comprehensive set of model input from satellites to simulate global solar radiation budget. The simulated planetary albedo of 29.0% confirms the value (28.6%) observed by CERES. We estimate the atmospheric absorption to be 82 ± 8 Wm−2 to be compared with the 67 Wm−2 by IPCC models as of 2001 and updated to 76 Wm−2by IPCC‐2007. The primary reasons for the 6 Wm−2 larger solar absorption in our estimates are: updated water vapor spectroscopic database (∼1 Wm−2), inclusion of minor gases (∼0.5 Wm−2), black and brown carbon aerosols (∼4 Wm−2), the inclusion of black carbon in clouds (∼1 Wm−2) and 3‐D effect of clouds (∼1 Wm−2). The fundamental deduction from our study is the remarkable consistency between satellite measurements of the radiation budget and the parameters (aerosols, clouds and surface reflectivity) which determine the radiation budget. Because of this consistency we can account for and explain the global solar radiation budget of the planet within few Wm−2.