Solar radiation absorption in the atmosphere due to water and ice clouds: Sensitivity experiments with plane-parallel clouds

Abstract

One cloud radiation issue that has been troublesome for several decades is the absorption of solar radiation by clouds. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the discrepancies between observations and modeling results. A good review of these often-competing hypotheses has been provided by Stephens and Tsay. They characterize the available hypotheses as failing into three categories: (1) those linked to cloud microphysical and consequent optical properties; (2) those linked to the geometry and heterogeneity of clouds; and (3) those linked to atmospheric absorption.Current modeling practice is seriously inconsistent with new observational inferences concerning absorption of solar radiation in the atmosphere. The author and her colleagues contend that an emphasis on R may, therefore, not be the optimal way of addressing the cloud solar absorption issue. 4 refs., 1 fig.