Absorption Of Longwave Radiation Research Articles

Changes in Northern Hemisphere extra-tropical cyclone frequency following volcanic eruptions

Explosive volcanic eruptions are well known to influence Earth’s temperature. Changes in Earth’s temperature can affect temperature gradients which in turn could affect the isentropic slope and hence Northern Hemisphere high and mid-latitude weather. Yet, the possible influence of volcanic eruptions on these atmospheric circulation patterns and the potential spatial extent are not well understood. To address this issue, we pursue two independent lines of evidence. Firstly, we simulate volcanic eruptions with the MPI-ESM1.2 Earth System Model and use the TRACK algorithm to explore how extra-tropical cyclone (ETC) frequency is affected in the model experiments. Secondly, we query the Greenland ice core NEEM-2011-S1 for indications of increased Northern Hemisphere ETC frequency correlating with evidence for explosive volcanism by comparing the storm proxies sodium and calcium; with the eruption proxy sulphur. Both the model and proxy evidence suggest that large explosive volcanic eruptions increase storminess around the location of the ice core. Furthermore, the simulations indicate that the number of ETCs increases in the subtropics and at high latitudes, while they decrease in the mid-latitudes. A detailed interrogation of the simulated eruptions reveals that increases in cyclone frequency are linked to steepening of the isentropic slope due to a larger meridional temperature gradient and to a lower tropopause. The steepening is driven by a combination of warming of the tropical stratosphere from absorption of longwave radiation by volcanic aerosols and surface cooling due to the scattering of sunlight by the same aerosols, whereas the lower tropopause may be attributed to a warmer stratosphere.

The Energy Model of Urban Heat Island

Despite the fact that the presence of a heat island over a city was established quite a long time ago, now there is no versatile algorithm for the determination of the urban heat island intensity. The proposed models either take into account only one or several factors for the formation of an urban heat island or do not consider physical reasons for the difference in thermodynamic conditions between a city and countryside. In this regard, it is impossible to make a forecast and determine the optimal methods for reducing the urban heat island intensity for an arbitrarily chosen city in a wide range of its characteristics and climatic conditions. This paper studies the causes for the formation of an urban heat island in order to develop the quantitative model of this process through the determination of the difference in radiation fluxes of various nature between a city and countryside (background area). A new equation allowing the intensity of an urban heat island in different seasons and different times of day, as well as under various atmospheric conditions, to be calculated from meteorological parameters measured at a stationary observation station is proposed. The model has been tested through the comparison of the results of numerical simulation with direct measurements of the heat island in Tomsk with a mobile station. It is shown that the main contributors to the formation of the heat island in Tomsk are anthropogenic heat emissions (80–90% in winter, 40–50% in summer) and absorption of shortwave radiation by the urban underlying surface (5–15% in winter, 40–50% summer). The absorption of longwave radiation by the urban underlying surface, absorption by atmospheric water vapor and other constituents, and heat consumption for evaporation are insignificant. An increase in the turbulent heat flux is responsible for the outflow of 40–50% of absorbed energy in summer and 20–30% in winter.

Riehl and Malkus Revisited: The Role of Cloud Radiative Effects

AbstractThe intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) exports energy and imports moisture. This has been understood for decades. By analyzing a set of uniform, nonrotating aquaplanet simulations, we show that energy export and moisture convergence are general characteristics of warm humid regions, and not just of the ITCZ. Using an analysis method based on the column relative humidity, we find that the absorption of longwave radiation by clouds supplies the energy that is exported from humid regions. The longwave absorption also induces a thermally direct circulation that lifts water vapor and converges moisture into regions that are already quite humid. An additional set of simulations shows that strong atmospheric energy convergence is absent when radiation is homogenized across the domain.

Radiative Heating Rates Computed With Clouds Derived From Satellite‐Based Passive and Active Sensors and their Effects on Generation of Available Potential Energy

AbstractRadiative heating rates computed with cloud properties derived from passive and active sensors are investigated. Zonal monthly radiative heating rate anomalies computed using both active and passive sensors show that larger variability in longwave cooling exists near the tropical tropopause and near the top of the boundary layer between ~50°N to ~50°S. Aerosol variability contributes to increases in shortwave heating rate variability. When zonal monthly mean cloud effects on the radiative heating rate computed with both active and passive sensors and those computed with passive sensor only are compared, the latter shows cooling and heating peaks corresponding to cloud top and base height ranges used for separating cloud types. The difference of these two sets of cloud radiative effect on heating rates in the middle to upper troposphere is larger than the radiative heating rate uncertainty estimated based on the difference of two active sensor radiative heating rate profile data products. In addition, radiative heating rate contribution to generation of eddy available potential energy is also investigated. Although radiation contribution to generation of eddy available potential energy averaged over a year and the entire globe is small, radiation increases the eddy available potential energy in the northern hemisphere during summer. Two key elements that longwave radiation contribute to the generation of eddy potential energy are (1) longitudinal temperature gradient in the atmosphere associated with land and ocean surface temperatures contrasts and absorption of longwave radiation emitted by the surface and (2) cooling near the cloud top of stratocumulus clouds.

Impact of Tropospheric Ozone on Summer Climate in China

The spatial distribution, radiative forcing, and climatic effects of tropospheric ozone in China during summer were investigated by using the regional climate model RegCM4. The results revealed that the tropospheric ozone column concentration was high in East China, Central China, North China, and the Sichuan basin during summer. The increase in tropospheric ozone levels since the industrialization era produced clear-sky shortwave and clear-sky longwave radiative forcing of 0.18 and 0.71 W m–2, respectively, which increased the average surface air temperature by 0.06 K and the average precipitation by 0.22 mm day–1 over eastern China during summer. In addition, tropospheric ozone increased the land–sea thermal contrast, leading to an enhancement of East Asian summer monsoon circulation over southern China and a weakening over northern China. The notable increase in surface air temperature in northwestern China, East China, and North China could be attributed to the absorption of longwave radiation by ozone, negative cloud amount anomaly, and corresponding positive shortwave radiation anomaly. There was a substantial increase in precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It was related to the enhanced upward motion and the increased water vapor brought by strengthened southerly winds in the lower troposphere.

Method of infrared radiation detection by uncooled photodetector

The article describes an optical method for detecting radiation in the far infrared region of the spectrum against the thermal noise background with an uncooled photodetector (PD) that is relevant for the field of indicator sensors. The basis of thePDis an abrupt anisotype heterojunction, made according to the “optical window–absorber” connection. The article considers the mechanism of the appearance of photocurrent components in a heterojunction during the absorption of long-wave radiation and their ratio. A measurement of the photocurrent in PD by incorporating a heterojunction into a bridge circuit is proposed. An analytical description of the dependence of the loop currents on the elements of the equivalent heterojunction circuit and the bridge measurement circuit is given. It is established that the functional dependences of the photocurrent components through the structural elements of the heterojunction are opposite in sign and intersect at the point of equality of their values. The method makes it possible to divide the currents in the heterojunction layers, calculate or set the current reference value by adjusting the measuring circuit and to provide the measurement of the photocurrent that is less than the thermal background in magnitude. An example of the practical implementation of the method in a heterojunction PD with the structure n(CdSe)–p(Pb1–x Sn x Se) is presented.

The Double Peak in Upwelling and Heating in the Tropical Lower Stratosphere

Abstract The processes responsible for double-peak latitudinal structures in the time-averaged tropical lower-stratospheric upwelling, centered near 70 hPa and 20°N/S, previously noted in ERA-Interim and other reanalysis and model datasets, are considered. It is demonstrated that the structure of the wave force resolved by ERA-Interim consistently balances the angular momentum transport associated with the double peak. Analysis of the corresponding structures in diabatic heating rates from ERA-Interim indicates that the peaks arise predominantly from the meridional structure in ozone concentrations and the associated absorption of both shortwave and longwave radiation. Additional smaller contributions arise from local absorption of longwave radiation emitted from the relatively warm layers above and below, as well as from cloud-related radiative effects and nonradiative diabatic heating. The temperature at 70 hPa is slightly higher near 20°N/S than at the equator, opposite of what would be expected if the latitudinal structure in radiative heating were associated with local relaxation. It is proposed on the basis of this analysis that the primary cause of the peaks in upwelling is the externally imposed (i.e., nonrelaxational) part of the radiative heating field. The dynamical plausibility of this hypothesis is investigated in a companion paper.

Energy balance in a warm world without the ocean conveyor belt and sea ice

AbstractUnder a strong global warming scenario, the global mean temperature could rise up to 10°C, causing the global ocean conveyor belt to collapse and the summer sea ice to disappear. This will lead to profound changes in our climate system and to impact drastically the living conditions of the globe. Here we study how the global heat redistribution and regional heat balance will respond to these changes using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model version 4. Results show that the collapsed ocean conveyor belt reduces the oceanic northward meridional heat transport (MHT) by nearly 60% with a minor increase in the atmospheric MHT. The polar amplified warming is primarily caused by the increased absorption of longwave radiation due to the increased greenhouse gases and cloudiness and by the increased absorption of shortwave radiation due to a lower albedo associated with the disappeared summer sea ice.

Dispersion of the volcanic sulfate cloud from a Mount Pinatubo–like eruption

We use the GEOS‐5 general circulation model to simulate the transport of the volcanic cloud from an eruption similar to the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The simulated aerosol optical thickness and transport of the volcanic cloud are in good agreement with observations of the actual Pinatubo eruption from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and with vertical profiles of sulfur dioxide observed by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). We tested the importance of initial conditions corresponding to the specific meteorological situation at the time of the eruption by comparing results when GEOS‐5 is initialized using Modern Era Retrospective Analyses for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis fields with results when it is initialized from an existing model run. We found no significant difference in the transport of the cloud. We show how the inclusion of the interaction between volcanic sulfate aerosol and radiation is essential for a reliable simulation of the transport of the volcanic cloud. The absorption of longwave radiation by the volcanic sulfate largely induces the rising of the volcanic cloud up to the middle stratosphere and the divergent motion from the latitude of the eruption to the tropics. Our simulations indicate that the cloud is transported to the Northern Hemisphere through a lower stratospheric pathway and to middle and high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere through a middle stratospheric pathway, centered at about 30 hPa. The direction of the middle stratospheric pathway depends on the season of the eruption.

Aerosol optical thickness and spatial variability along coastal and offshore waters of the eastern Arabian Sea

AbstractMenon, H. B., Sangekar, N., Lotliker, A., Krishna Moorthy, K., and Vethamony, P. 2011. Aerosol optical thickness and spatial variability along coastal and offshore waters of the eastern Arabian Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 745–750. Data from the ocean-colour monitor (OCM) on board the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite P4 were used to analyse the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) over the coastal and offshore waters of the eastern Arabian Sea. Zero water-leaving radiance from the near infrared (NIR) region was assumed for oceanic (open ocean) waters, because of the absorption of long-wave radiation by water molecules. As this assumption fails in coastal waters, it was necessary to correct for water-leaving radiance and sun glint to the NIR bands. The aerosol size-distribution parameter (α) was derived from a relationship between two NIR bands. The Ångström turbidity parameter (β) was obtained using an algorithm relating in situ hand-held, sun-photometer measurements and aerosol radiance (La) at 490 nm. The relationship between β and La (490) was derived with a sensitivity analysis, using a calibrated radiative transfer model. AOTs were retrieved for each pixel of 500 nm. The algorithm's performance was tested by comparing OCM-derived AOT values with in situ AOT and MODIS-derived values. Aerosol maps thus generated from January to December 2005 demonstrate the potential of this new retrieval method for producing AOT climatology from OCM data over coastal waters.

Analysis on Impact of Facility Agriculture on Ecological Function of Modern Agriculture

Facility agriculture is an important mode of development in modern agriculture, and it played a key role in improving the ecological function. Based on the descriptions on ecological function of modern agriculture, a number of ecological and environmental problems caused by large-scale facility agriculture were analyzed in this paper. Agricultural facilities tent membrane change surface coverage types of facilities agriculture area, will cause changes in the rate of surface occurs and break the original surface energy balance. Facilities agriculture covered by insulation in the night will prevent the surface heat from diffusing and reduce the absorption of long-wave radiation. The covered tent membrane barriered vapour from exchanging and reduce total plant evapotranspiration. The change of environments inside of the agricultural facilities will influence the balance of the soil respiration. The unreasonable cultivation practices will destroy regional soil quality .These environmental problems will weaken the urban ecological conservation in modern agriculture. Accordingly, we put forward corresponding countermeasures and Suggestions.

Cluster analysis of midlatitude oceanic cloud regimes: mean properties and temperature sensitivity

Abstract. Clouds play an important role in the climate system by reducing the amount of shortwave radiation reaching the surface and the amount of longwave radiation escaping to space. Accurate simulation of clouds in computer models remains elusive, however, pointing to a lack of understanding of the connection between large-scale dynamics and cloud properties. This study uses a k-means clustering algorithm to group 21 years of satellite cloud data over midlatitude oceans into seven clusters, and demonstrates that the cloud clusters are associated with distinct large-scale dynamical conditions. Three clusters correspond to low-level cloud regimes with different cloud fraction and cumuliform or stratiform characteristics, but all occur under large-scale descent and a relatively dry free troposphere. Three clusters correspond to vertically extensive cloud regimes with tops in the middle or upper troposphere, and they differ according to the strength of large-scale ascent and enhancement of tropospheric temperature and humidity. The final cluster is associated with a lower troposphere that is dry and an upper troposphere that is moist and experiencing weak ascent and horizontal moist advection. Since the present balance of reflection of shortwave and absorption of longwave radiation by clouds could change as the atmosphere warms from increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gases, we must also better understand how increasing temperature modifies cloud and radiative properties. We therefore undertake an observational analysis of how midlatitude oceanic clouds change with temperature when dynamical processes are held constant (i.e., partial derivative with respect to temperature). For each of the seven cloud regimes, we examine the difference in cloud and radiative properties between warm and cold subsets. To avoid misinterpreting a cloud response to large-scale dynamical forcing as a cloud response to temperature, we require horizontal and vertical temperature advection in the warm and cold subsets to have near-median values in three layers of the troposphere. Across all of the seven clusters, we find that cloud fraction is smaller and cloud optical thickness is mostly larger for the warm subset. Cloud-top pressure is higher for the three low-level cloud regimes and lower for the cirrus regime. The net upwelling radiation flux at the top of the atmosphere is larger for the warm subset in every cluster except cirrus, and larger when averaged over all clusters. This implies that the direct response of midlatitude oceanic clouds to increasing temperature acts as a negative feedback on the climate system. Note that the cloud response to atmospheric dynamical changes produced by global warming, which we do not consider in this study, may differ, and the total cloud feedback may be positive.

Radiative Properties of Mid-latitude Frontal Ice-Clouds Observed by the Shortwave and Longwave Radiometer-Sondes

In the Japanese Cloud and Climate Study (JACCS) cirrus experiment, simultaneous measurements of cloud radiative and microphysical properties were conducted by using the combined-sonde (radiometersonde + hydrometeor-video-sonde (HYVIS)) observation system at the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI), located at (36.05°N, 140.13°E) in Tsukuba, Japan, during early summer seasons from 1995 to 1999. We have analyzed the radiative properties of frontal ice-clouds observed by the shortwave and longwave radiometer-sondes (Asano et al. 2004). To interpret the observed radiative flux profiles, we have also performed radiative transfer calculations for horizontally homogeneous atmospheric models, where the single-scattering properties of ice-clouds were computed by anomalous diffraction theory for ice-crystals observed by HYVIS. On an average of the observed frontal ice-clouds, the shortwave re- flectance, transmittance and absorptance were estimated to be 0.41±0.03, 0.51±0.06, and 0.08±0.09, respectively, for the averaged ice-cloud layer with a mean visible optical thickness of 4.6 and a mean geometrical thickness of 5.4 km (mean volume extinction coefficient of 0.85 km-1). The ice-clouds were significantly heated by absorption of solar radiation in daytime. On the other hand, the mean effective emittance was estimated to be about 0.86±0.37, showing that the frontal ice-clouds never acted as blackbody for longwave radiation. The lower parts of ice-cloud layers were heated by absorption of longwave radiation from the surface and the atmosphere below the ice-clouds, while the upper parts were cooled by emission of longwave radiation to space. The shortwave and longwave heating profiles could make the daytime ice-cloud layers thermodynamically unstable.

Entropy budget of the atmosphere

The balance equations for the entropy in the atmosphere are presented and discussed. Using observed energy fluxes and atmospheric temperatures, we present estimates of the various terms in the global mean entropy budget. The largest boundary fluxes of entropy are associated with the emission of longwave radiation. The fluxes of entropy associated with turbulent and molecular diffusion are found to be much smaller. On the planetary scale the mean outgoing flux of entropy at the top of the atmosphere is found to be about 22 times larger than the mean incoming flux of entropy through solar radiation. The rates of entropy production and destruction by the various irreversible processes that occur in the atmosphere are also computed. The entropy production terms involved in the release of latent heat and the absorption of solar radiation are, by far, the largest sources of entropy for the atmosphere, whereas the production of entropy associated with the absorption of longwave radiation is an order of magnitude smaller. The destruction is mainly accomplished through cooling by outgoing longwave radiation. The contributions of the sensible heat fluxes and friction are relatively small. Regional contributions to the total entropy generation in the atmosphere are studied by considering an equatorial region bounded by two latitudinal walls at 15°N and 15°S and a polar region poleward of 70°N. The rates of entropy generation by the various diabatic processes are highest in the equatorial region; part of the generated entropy is exported to higher latitudes.

Global Climate Change: Predictions and Observations

There are only three certainties concerning the current issue of global climate change: (a) trace gases which absorb longwave infrared radiation in the earth's atmosphere are increasing due to anthropogenic activities; (b) increases in absorption of longwave radiation are likely to alter the earth's energy balance, leading to warming of the earth's surface; and (c) global surface air temperature are rising. Beyond these three incontrovertible statements, uncertainties multiply as to causality of observed warming, magnitude and rate of change of potential warming, effects on the hydrological cycle, regional specification of change, and, finally, impacts of the projected changes on biological, physical, and economic systems.

New in‐flight calibration adjustment of the NIMBUS 6 and 7 Earth Radiation Budget wide field of view radiometers

The in‐flight space environment of the NIMBUS 6 and 7 earth radiation budget instrument differs in many important ways from the steady state preflight laboratory calibration environment. Because of this, the first 20 months of NIMBUS 7 wide field of view (WFOV) channels had their calibration adjusted through a comparison with the in‐flight calibrated longwave scanner data. The adjustments were most important for the reflected solar radiation channel 13. The scanner failed on June 22, 1980, leading to the requirement for new algorithms to process the remainder of the WFOV data set. On the basis of detailed studies of the sensor characteristics, in‐flight calibration adjustments of the WFOV channels are developed which account for the major thermal, chemical, and radiative dynamics of the orbital environment. These adjustments correct for (1) long‐term changes in the rsponse of the sensors; (2) thermal transients due to the instrument's on‐off duty cycle, and (3) absorption of longwave radiation by the filter domes. In addition, these studies have led to improved in‐flight calibration adjustments for channel 12, the broadband total irradiance sensor. The rational behind the new algorithm is described, and differences between the new and old algorithms are discussed.

The new radiation chart

Basing on the analysis of the most reliable data concerning the atmospheric absorption of long-wave radiation by water vapour, carbon dioxide and ozone, was obtained the integral transmission function of long-wave radiation by the atmosphere. The results are used for plotting the new radiation chart intended for calculating the thermal radiative fluxes in the atmosphere. Comparison of the results of calculations of thermal radiative fluxes has been carried out according to the new chart as well as by the preceding ones.

ABSORPTION OF RADIATION BY WATER VAPOR AS DETERMINED BY HETTNER AND BY WEBER AND RANDALL

The two atmospheric absorption-models presented in a previous paper (Mon. Weath. Rev., v. 84, p 122, 1936) are examined further by comparing them with additional data, namely: (1) Actual measurements of outgoing radiation as observed by Olsson at Spitsbergen and by the United States weather Bureau in Alaska; (2) magnitudes of ground-inversions found from airplane soundings in Alaska during the winter of 1936–37. These observations show that the model based on Weber and Randall's absorption-coefficients represents atmospheric absorption of long-wave radiation much better than that based on Hettner's measurements, although, from other considerations, neither seems to be satisfactory under conditions of low temperature and pressure.