Partitioning Of Solar Radiation Research Articles

Experimental investigation of the partitioning of radiation in the melt pond–ice–ocean system

To study the partitioning of solar radiation over the melting Arctic sea ice and address the lack of systematic measurements of the optical properties of melt ponds and the underlying ice, four experiments in non-Arctic regions were designed to explore the distribution of solar irradiance on pond surface, pond bottom, and underlying ice. These experiments also investigated the influence of different pond depths (Hp), underlying ice thicknesses (Hi), and melt pond sidewall conditions (i.e., the black sidewalls, ice sidewalls, and pond horizon size) on the apparent optical properties (AOPs) of melt ponds. The black sidewalls with a small pond radius (barrel experiment) showed the greatest influence on the AOPs, significantly lowering the albedo and transmittance, and increasing the energy absorbed by the pond (Ψp) and underlying ice (Ψi). Different sidewall types, such as the black and ice sidewalls, did not affect the AOPs' trend, but affected their values. The AOPs were also influenced by pond size. The albedo linearly decreased and Ψp linearly increased with the increase of pond radius. The albedo and Ψp were almost independent of pond radius as pond radius larger than 0.58 m and 1.25, respectively. The black sidewalls experiment, in which the pond radius was 2.5 m, and the pond size experiment showed that solar energy was mainly absorbed by the melt pond. Ψp increased from 19% to 62%, which corresponded to Hp increasing from 5 cm to 35 cm in the pond size experiment. The results of the four experiments were consistent with the values obtained from numerical simulations and in situ measurements in the Arctic. The experiments conducted in this study were shown to be effective tools to complement and verify the optical measurements of Arctic melt ponds. They allow us to obtain the key information in Arctic pond measurements, which is difficult to achieve due to the severe weather conditions and marine environment.

Spatiotemporal evolution of melt ponds on Arctic sea ice

Melt ponds on sea ice play an important role in the Arctic climate system. Their presence alters the partitioning of solar radiation: decreasing reflection, increasing absorption and transmission to the ice and ocean, and enhancing melt. The spatiotemporal properties of melt ponds thus modify ice albedo feedbacks and the mass balance of Arctic sea ice. The Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition presented a valuable opportunity to investigate the seasonal evolution of melt ponds through a rich array of atmosphere-ice-ocean measurements across spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we characterize the seasonal behavior and variability in the snow, surface scattering layer, and melt ponds from spring melt to autumn freeze-up using in situ surveys and auxiliary observations. We compare the results to satellite retrievals and output from two models: the Community Earth System Model (CESM2) and the Marginal Ice Zone Modeling and Assimilation System (MIZMAS). During the melt season, the maximum pond coverage and depth were 21% and 22 ± 13 cm, respectively, with distribution and depth corresponding to surface roughness and ice thickness. Compared to observations, both models overestimate melt pond coverage in summer, with maximum values of approximately 41% (MIZMAS) and 51% (CESM2). This overestimation has important implications for accurately simulating albedo feedbacks. During the observed freeze-up, weather events, including rain on snow, caused high-frequency variability in snow depth, while pond coverage and depth remained relatively constant until continuous freezing ensued. Both models accurately simulate the abrupt cessation of melt ponds during freeze-up, but the dates of freeze-up differ. MIZMAS accurately simulates the observed date of freeze-up, while CESM2 simulates freeze-up one-to-two weeks earlier. This work demonstrates areas that warrant future observation-model synthesis for improving the representation of sea-ice processes and properties, which can aid accurate simulations of albedo feedbacks in a warming climate.

Classification of Tree Functional Types in a Megadiverse Tropical Mountain Forest from Leaf Optical Metrics and Functional Traits for Two Related Ecosystem Functions

Few plant functional types (PFTs) with fixed average traits are used in land surface models (LSMs) to consider feedback between vegetation and the changing atmosphere. It is uncertain if highly diverse vegetation requires more local PFTs. Here, we analyzed how 52 tree species of a megadiverse mountain rain forest separate into local tree functional types (TFTs) for two functions: biomass production and solar radiation partitioning. We derived optical trait indicators (OTIs) by relating leaf optical metrics and functional traits through factor analysis. We distinguished four OTIs explaining 38%, 21%, 15%, and 12% of the variance, of which two were considered important for biomass production and four for solar radiation partitioning. The clustering of species-specific OTI values resulted in seven and eight TFTs for the two functions, respectively. The first TFT ensemble (P-TFTs) represented a transition from low to high productive types. The P-TFT were separated with a fair average silhouette width of 0.41 and differed markedly in their main trait related to productivity, Specific Leaf Area (SLA), in a range between 43.6 to 128.2 (cm2/g). The second delineates low and high reflective types (E-TFTs), were subdivided by different levels of visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) albedo. The E-TFTs were separated with an average silhouette width of 0.28 and primarily defined by their VIS/NIR albedo. The eight TFT revealed an especially pronounced range in NIR reflectance of 5.9% (VIS 2.8%), which is important for ecosystem radiation partitioning. Both TFT sets were grouped along elevation, modified by local edaphic gradients and species-specific traits. The VIS and NIR albedo were related to altitude and structural leaf traits (SLA), with NIR albedo showing more complex associations with biochemical traits and leaf water. The TFTs will support LSM simulations used to analyze the functioning of mountain rainforests under climate change.

Surface Albedo Assimilation and Its Impact on Surface Radiation Budget in Beijing

Surface albedo is a crucial parameter in land surface radiation budget. As bias exists between the model simulated and observed surface albedo, data assimilation is an important method to improve the simulation results. Moreover, surface albedo is associated with the wavelength of the sunlight. So, solar radiation partitioning is important to parameterize the surface albedo. In this paper, the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer- (MODIS-) retrieved direct visible, direct near-infrared, diffuse visible, and diffuse near-infrared surface albedos were assimilated into the integrated urban land model (IUM). The solar radiation partitioning method was introduced to parameterize the surface albedo. Based on the albedo data from MODIS and the solar radiation partitioning method, the surface albedo data set for the Beijing municipal area was generated. Based on the surface albedo data set and the IUM, the impacts of the surface albedo on the surface radiation budget were discussed quantitatively. Surface albedo is inversely proportional to the net radiation. For urban areas, after assimilation, the annual average net radiation decreases about 5.6%. For cropland, grassland, and forest areas, after assimilation, the annual average net radiations increase about 20.2%, 24.3%, and 18.7%, respectively.

Solar Radiation Partitioning and Surface Albedo Parameterization in the Hinterland of Taklimakan Desert

Surface albedo is one of the key parameters of land surface radiation and energy balance. As surface albedoes for visible and near-infrared solar radiation are quite different, solar radiation partitioning is important to parameterize the total surface albedo and upward solar radiation. In this paper, a surface albedo parameterization scheme was introduced and a solar radiation partitioning method was developed to improve the simulation of the upward solar radiation. The simulation results were validated in a hinterland site of the Taklimakan Desert. The surface albedo is not only associated with the soil moisture, but associated with the solar zenith angle. The solar radiation partitioning method considers the joint influences of cloud cover, near-surface air pressure, and solar zenith angle and was compared with the method using the Simple Biosphere Model version 3 (SiB3). The total albedo depends on the partitioning of the total visible and near-infrared radiations. The results indicate the surface albedo parameterization scheme is important to parameterize the upward solar radiation. The new solar radiation partitioning method could improve the simulation result.

Measurements of spectral irradiance during the solar eclipse of 21 August 2017: reassessment of the effect of solar limb darkening and of changes in total ozone

Abstract. Measurements of spectral irradiance between 306 and 1020 nm were performed with a GUVis-3511 multi-channel filter radiometer at Smith Rock State Park, Oregon, during the total solar eclipse of 21 August 2017. The radiometer was equipped with a shadowband, allowing the separation of the global (sun and sky) and direct components of solar radiation. Data were used to study the wavelength-dependent changes in solar irradiance at Earth's surface. Results were compared with theoretical predictions using three different parameterizations of the solar limb darkening (LD) effect, which describes the change in the solar spectrum from the Sun's center to its limb. Results indicate that the LD parameterization that has been most widely used during the last 15 years underestimates the LD effect, in particular at UV wavelengths. The two alternative parameterizations are based on two independent sets of observations from the McMath–Pierce solar telescope. When these parameterizations are used, the observed and theoretical LD effects agree to within 4 % for wavelengths larger than 400 nm and occultation of the solar disk of up to 97.8 %. Maximum deviations for wavelengths between 315 and 340 nm are 7 %. These somewhat larger differences compared to the visible range may be explained with varying aerosol conditions during the period of observations. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) and its wavelength dependence was calculated from measurements of direct irradiance. When corrected for the LD effect, the AOD decreases over the period of the eclipse: from 0.41 to 0.34 at 319 nm and from 0.05 to 0.04 at 1018 nm. These results show that AODs can be accurately calculated during an eclipse if the LD effect is corrected. The total ozone column (TOC) was derived from measurements of global irradiance at 306 and 340 nm. Without correction for the LD effect, the retrieved TOC increases by 20 DU between the first and second contact of the eclipse. With LD correction, the TOC remains constant to within natural variability (±2.6 DU or ±0.9 % between first and second contact and ±1.0 DU or ±0.3 % between third and fourth contact). In contrast to results of observations from earlier solar eclipses, no fluctuations in TOC were observed that could be unambiguously attributed to gravity waves, which can be triggered by the supersonic speed of the Moon's shadow across the atmosphere. Furthermore, systematic changes in the ratio of direct and global irradiance that could be attributed to the solar eclipse were not observed, in agreement with results of three-dimensional (3-D) radiative transfer (RT) models. Our results advance the understanding of the effects of solar LD on the spectral irradiance at Earth's surface, the variations in ozone during an eclipse, and the partitioning of solar radiation in direct and diffuse components.

Partitioning of solar radiation in Arctic sea ice during melt season

Summary The partitioning of solar radiation in the Arctic sea ice during the melt season is investigated using a radiative transfer model containing three layers of melt pond, underlying sea ice, and ocean beneath ice. The wavelength distribution of the spectral solar irradiance clearly narrowed with increasing depth into ice, from 350–900 nm at the pond surface to 400–600 nm in the ocean beneath. In contrast, the net spectral irradiance is quite uniform. The absorbed solar energy is sensitive to both pond depth (Hp) and the underlying ice thickness (Hi). The solar energy absorbed by the melt pond (Ψp) is proportional only to Hp. However, the solar energy absorbed by the underlying ice (Ψi) is more complicated due to the counteracting effects arising from the pond and ice to the energy absorption. In September, Ψp decreased by 10% from its August value, which is attributed to more components in the shortwave band (

Effects of the partitioning of diffuse and direct solar radiation on satellite-based modeling of crop gross primary production

Modeling crop gross primary production (GPP) is critical to understanding the carbon dynamics of agro-ecosystems. Satellite-based studies have widely used production efficiency models (PEM) to estimate cropland GPP, wherein light use efficiency (LUE) is a key model parameter. One factor that has not been well considered in many PEMs is that canopy LUE could vary with illumination conditions. This study investigates how the partitioning of diffuse and direct solar radiation influences cropland GPP using both flux tower and satellite data. The field-measured hourly LUE under cloudy conditions was 1.50 and 1.70 times higher than that under near clear-sky conditions for irrigated corn and soybean, respectively. We applied a two-leaf model to simulate the canopy radiative transfer process, where modeled photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) absorbed by canopy agreed with tower measurements (R2=0.959 and 0.914 for corn and soybean, respectively). Derived canopy LUE became similar after accounting for the impact of light saturation on leaf photosynthetic capacity under varied illumination conditions. The impacts of solar radiation partitioning on satellite-based modeling of crop GPP was examined using vegetation indices (VI) derived from MODIS data. Consistent with the field modeling results, the relationship between daily GPP and PAR×VI under varied illumination conditions showed different patterns in terms of regression slope and intercept. We proposed a function to correct the influences of direct and diffuse radiation partitioning and the explained variance of flux tower GPP increased in all experiments. Our results suggest that the non-linear response of leaf photosynthesis to light absorption contributes to higher canopy LUE on cloudy days than on clear days. We conclude that accounting for the impacts of solar radiation partitioning is necessary for modeling crop GPP on a daily or shorter basis.

Dust‐rainfall feedback in West African Sahel

AbstractDrought persistence in West African Sahel has often been explained as an effect of positive vegetation‐atmosphere feedback associated with surface albedo or the partitioning of solar radiation into sensible and latent heat fluxes. An often overlooked aspect of land‐atmosphere coupling results from vegetation controls on dust emissions and the ability of mineral aerosols to suppress precipitation. Here we first consider the case of local (endogenous) dynamics within the Sahel, whereby enhanced dust emissions resulting from a decrease in vegetation partly suppress precipitation, thereby further reducing vegetation cover. We then account for teleconnections between Sahel precipitation and exogenous (i.e., Saharan) dust emissions due to an increase in Saharan wind speed in years of above average Sahel precipitation. We find that in both cases vegetation‐climate dynamics may have two stable states, one with low precipitation and high concentration of atmospheric dust and the other with high precipitation and lower levels of atmospheric dust.

Evaluation of CLM4 Solar Radiation Partitioning Scheme Using Remote Sensing and Site Level FPAR Datasets

This paper examines a land surface solar radiation partitioning scheme, i.e., that of the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4) with coupled carbon and nitrogen cycles. Taking advantage of a unique 30-year fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR) dataset, derived from the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data set, multiple other remote sensing datasets, and site level observations, we evaluated the CLM4 FPAR’s seasonal cycle, diurnal cycle, long-term trends, and spatial patterns. Our findings show that the model generally agrees with observations in the seasonal cycle, long-term trends, and spatial patterns, but does not reproduce the diurnal cycle. Discrepancies also exist in seasonality magnitudes, peak value months, and spatial heterogeneity. We identify the discrepancy in the diurnal cycle as, due to, the absence of dependence on sun angle in the model. Implementation of sun angle dependence in a one-dimensional (1-D) model is proposed. The need for better relating of vegetation to climate in the model, indicated by long-term trends, is also noted. Evaluation of the CLM4 land surface solar radiation partitioning scheme using remote sensing and site level FPAR datasets provides targets for future development in its representation of this naturally complicated process.

RAMI4PILPS: An intercomparison of formulations for the partitioning of solar radiation in land surface models

[1] Remotely sensed, multiannual data sets of shortwave radiative surface fluxes are now available for assimilation into land surface schemes (LSSs) of climate and/or numerical weather prediction models. The RAMI4PILPS suite of virtual experiments assesses the accuracy and consistency of the radiative transfer formulations that provide the magnitudes of absorbed, reflected, and transmitted shortwave radiative fluxes in LSSs. RAMI4PILPS evaluates models under perfectly controlled experimental conditions in order to eliminate uncertainties arising from an incomplete or erroneous knowledge of the structural, spectral and illumination related canopy characteristics typical for model comparison with in situ observations. More specifically, the shortwave radiation is separated into a visible and near-infrared spectral region, and the quality of the simulated radiative fluxes is evaluated by direct comparison with a 3-D Monte Carlo reference model identified during the third phase of the Radiation transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI) exercise. The RAMI4PILPS setup thus allows to focus in particular on the numerical accuracy of shortwave radiative transfer formulations and to pinpoint to areas where future model improvements should concentrate. The impact of increasing degrees of structural and spectral subgrid variability on the simulated fluxes is documented and the relevance of any thus emerging biases with respect to gross primary production estimates and shortwave radiative forcings due to snow and fire events are investigated.

Solar partitioning in a changing Arctic sea-ice cover

AbstractThe summer extent of the Arctic sea-ice cover has decreased in recent decades and there have been alterations in the timing and duration of the summer melt season. These changes in ice conditions have affected the partitioning of solar radiation in the Arctic atmosphere–ice–ocean system. the impact of sea-ice changes on solar partitioning is examined on a pan-Arctic scale using a 25 km × 25 km Equal-Area Scalable Earth Grid for the years 1979–2007. Daily values of incident solar irradiance are obtained from NCEP reanalysis products adjusted by ERA-40, and ice concentrations are determined from passive microwave satellite data. the albedo of the ice is parameterized by a five-stage process that includes dry snow, melting snow, melt pond formation, melt pond evolution, and freeze-up. the timing of these stages is governed by the onset dates of summer melt and fall freeze-up, which are determined from satellite observations. Trends of solar heat input to the ice were mixed, with increases due to longer melt seasons and decreases due to reduced ice concentration. Results indicate a general trend of increasing solar heat input to the Arctic ice–ocean system due to declines in albedo induced by decreases in ice concentration and longer melt seasons. the evolution of sea-ice albedo, and hence the total solar heating of the ice–ocean system, is more sensitive to the date of melt onset than the date of fall freeze-up. the largest increases in total annual solar heat input from 1979 to 2007, averaging as much as 4%a–1, occurred in the Chukchi Sea region. the contribution of solar heat to the ocean is increasing faster than the contribution to the ice due to the loss of sea ice.

A modern concept for autonomous and continuous measurements of spectral albedo and transmittance of sea ice

Abstract Time series of irradiance data measured on sea ice with high temporal and spectral resolution are needed for advancing studies of atmosphere–ice–ocean interaction during different seasons. In particular, more observations of under-ice irradiance are needed to quantify fluxes through snow and sea ice and their seasonality, because the vertical and spectral partitioning of solar radiation are still among the biggest unknowns in today's descriptions of sea-ice related processes. Our current understanding of the interaction of radiation and sea ice is based on only a few data sets, yet this interaction is crucial for describing such processes as sea-ice formation, snow metamorphism, and snow and ice melt, as well as biological productivity and abundance. A modern setup for synchronous, autonomous, continuous, and high temporal-resolution measurements of spectral albedo and transmittance of sea ice is presented. The setup is based on three spectral radiometers, covering a wavelength range from 320 to 950 nm with 3.3 nm spectral resolution. Sensors, data logger, and their setup have worked well in several campaigns under challenging climatic conditions. The longest campaign lasted more than 4 months, without the need for maintenance, and the sensors have shown good performance related to surface contamination, one of the most challenging aspects for radiation measurements. Measured data are of high quality, including details of spectral shapes and high sensitivity to changes in observed snow and ice conditions. All spectra are calibrated for absolute readings, allowing applications in a wide variety of snow and ice studies and their comparison. A sample data set, collected over two weeks in the central Arctic, is presented and shows how the vertical partitioning of irradiance changes during the transition from summer to autumn. The main advantage of the system is its suitability for autonomous and long-term observations over and under sea ice. Furthermore, the setup is portable and robust, and can be easily and quickly installed, which is most valuable for deployment under harsh conditions and also encourages short observation periods. Spectral range and other technical features permit the application of this setup for various interdisciplinary studies, too.

Effects of cover diffusive properties on the components of greenhouse solar radiation

This study deals with the characterization and analysis of the components of solar radiation under a highly diffusing cover material. Measurements of outside and inside global (Go and Gi, respectively) and diffuse (Do and Di, respectively) radiation were carried out over the course of several years (2000–2004) under a plastic greenhouse. It was shown that the cover diffusive properties can be characterized in situ through sound physically-based parameters. We suggested the use of two specific greenhouse transmittances (direct-to-direct, τb-b, and direct-to-diffuse, τb-d, transmittances), or alternatively, the use of greenhouse diffuse ratio (ρ = Di/Do) and its derivate, the enrichment coefficient (ɛ). The transmittances were primarily dependent on the diffusive properties of the cover, with a seasonal modulation due to the influence of the beam incidence angle. We found that τb-d was significantly less sensitive to the incidence angle than τb-b. Our results also evidenced that extrinsic factors, such as condensation events and dust deposition, might have significant non-permanent effects on both τb-b and τb-d during some periods of the year. Finally, we proposed a straightforward means to obtain a quantitative estimate of the amount of inside diffuse radiation through the relationship (power function) between ρ and the outside diffuse-to-global fraction, fo. Importantly, the value of the exponent of the power function could be used to characterize and quantify the diffusive power of greenhouse cover materials. Overall, the results stressed the significant impact of the cover diffusive properties on inside solar radiation partitioning, as well as the need to account for these changes in models aimed to estimate the direct and diffuse components, canopy radiation interception and yield in greenhouse agrosystems.

Earth's Global Energy Budget

An update is provided on the Earth's global annual mean energy budget in the light of new observations and analyses. In 1997, Kiehl and Trenberth provided a review of past estimates and performed a number of radiative computations to better establish the role of clouds and various greenhouse gases in the overall radiative energy flows, with top-of-atmosphere (TOA) values constrained by Earth Radiation Budget Experiment values from 1985 to 1989, when the TOA values were approximately in balance. The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) measurements from March 2000 to May 2004 are used at TOA but adjusted to an estimated imbalance from the enhanced greenhouse effect of 0.9 W m−2. Revised estimates of surface turbulent fluxes are made based on various sources. The partitioning of solar radiation in the atmosphere is based in part on the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) FD computations that utilize the global ISCCP cloud data every 3 h, and also accounts for increased ...

On the aggregate‐scale partitioning of solar radiation in Arctic sea ice during the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) field experiment

The partitioning of the incident solar irradiance among reflection to the atmosphere, absorption in the snow and ice, and transmission to the ocean is a critical component of the summer melt cycle of Arctic sea ice. Observations from a year‐long field experiment (Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA)) showed that of the solar radiation incident between 1 April and 5 October 1998, 68% was reflected to the atmosphere, 24% was absorbed in the snow and ice, and 8% was transmitted to the ocean. The amount of energy reflected to the atmosphere was greatest in May, when the surface albedo and the incident irradiance were large. The energy absorbed in the snow and ice increased slowly in April and May in conjunction with the increase in incident solar irradiance, followed by a sharp increase in June associated with the onset of melt. In spring, virtually none of the solar energy incident on snow‐covered sea ice is transmitted to the ocean compared to over 90% of that incident on leads. The energy transmitted to the ocean reached a maximum near the end of the melt season in mid‐August when the albedo and ice thickness were at minima and lead and pond fractions were at maxima. While much of the solar energy transmitted to the ocean was through leads, substantial portions were also transmitted through bare ice (23%) and ponded ice (16%). During the melt season, the combined energy transmitted through bare ice and ponds was equivalent to that through leads. This marked a significant change in the interaction of solar energy with the sea ice cover, with substantial amounts of solar energy transmitted to the ocean through the thin summer ice cover of SHEBA compared to the thicker ice studied in 1975 (Arctic Ice Dynamics Joint Experiment (AIDJEX)).

The effect of aerosols on the temperatures of a zonal average climate model

The effect of atmospheric aerosols on the temperatures of a zonal average climate model is investigated. This is done by introducing into the climate model the results of extensive calculations of the effect of aerosols on the partitioning of solar radiation. Calculations are performed for a non-absorbing and a sloghtly absorbing aerosol, for average and for heavy aerosol amounts. The results indicate that the presence of atmospheric aerosols causes a cooling of the earth's surface and atmosphere, at all latitudes, with aerosol amounts, especially for the absorbing aerosols. The results are compared with some of the previous estimates of aerosol effects on climate.

The micro-meteorology of an extended area of tea before and after rain

Data are presented on the microclimate above the crop canopy of an extended area of mature tea growing in southern Malawi. Stomatal opening was significantly greater following the onset of the rainy season although the difference did not appear to affect the partitioning of solar radiation between evaporation and sensible heat exchange as indicated by calculated values of the Bowen ratio.