AbstractLongwave cloud radiative forcing, defined as the cloud free flux minus the average flux has been calculated using radiation budget data from NOAA operational satellites, ERBE (Earth Radiation Budget Experiment) and Nimbus-7 cloud and radiation budget observations. Each satellite data set has unique characteristics and different analysis procedures were used for obtaining the cloud forcing from each set. Longwave cloud forcing was computed globally on a 2.5° latitude/longitude grid. An intercomparison of results indicates that the estimates of cloud forcing, while showing some differences, exhibit a high degree of consistency in both magnitude and spatial distribution. This suggests that we can obtain a reasonably accurate depiction of spatial and temporal variability of the longwave cloud forcing suitable for climate studies. A method for calculating cloud forcing anomalies from anomalies in outgoing longwave radiation, available from NOAA operational satellites, is proposed.


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    Title :

    An analysis of cloud radiation forcing as calculated from ERBE, AVHRR and Nimbus-7 ERB and cloud data


    Contributors:
    Gruber, A. (author) / Stowe, L.L. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1989-01-01


    Size :

    10 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English