We present a method for deriving the radiative effects of absorbing aerosols in cloudy scenes from satellite retrievals only. We use data of 2005–2007 from various passive sensors aboard satellites of the “A-Train” constellation. The study area is restricted to the tropical- and subtropical
Atlantic Ocean. To identify the dependence of the local planetary albedo in cloudy scenes on cloud liquid water path and aerosol optical depth (AOD), we perform a multiple linear regression. The OMI UV-Aerosolindex serves as an indicator for absorbing-aerosol presence. In our method, the
aerosol influences the local planetary albedo through direct-
(scattering and absorption) and indirect (Twomey) aerosol effects.
We find an increase of the local planetary albedo (LPA) with increasing AOD of mostly scattering aerosol and a decrease of the LPA with increasing AOD of mostly absorbing aerosol. These results allow us to derive the direct aerosol effect of absorbing aerosols in cloudy scenes, with the effect of cloudy-scene aerosol absorption in the tropical- and subtropical Atlantic contributing (+21.2±11.1)×10−3 Wm−2 to the
global top of the atmosphere radiative forcing.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:12777 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Peters, Karsten, Quaas, Johannes, Bellouin, Nicolas |
| Contributors | Max-Planck-Institut für Meteorologie, Universität Hamburg, 3International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling, Hadley Centre |
| Publisher | Copernicus Publication |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Source | Atmospheric chemistry and physics (2011) 11, S.1393-1404 |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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