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Application of SGP Data to CERES Retrievals of Shortwave and Longwave Fluxes

Charlock, T.P., Minnis, P., and Wong, T., National Aeronautics and Space Administration- Langley Research Center; Rose, F.G., Alberta, T.L., Analytical Services and Materials; Fu, Q., Dalhousie University; Hu, Y., Hampton University; Morcrette, J.-J., European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting
Ninth Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting

Data over the Southern Great Plains (SGP) for January 1998 have been used to analyze the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) radiative transfer calculations with the Fu-Liou code in both shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) in clear and cloudy conditions. CERES used Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)-2 temperature and humidity profiles from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center Data Assimilation Office (DAO). Values of broadband LW radiances computed with GEOS-2 for clear skies are generally less than measurements by CERES on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Temperature data from the SGP and upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-8 (Soden's algorithm) indicated that the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) profiles are more accurate, and differences between measurements and calculations for broadband LW decreased when using ECMWF inputs. Discrepancies between measurements and calculations for SW are more problematic in both clear and cloudy conditions. The absorption of SW by the full atmospheric column has been inferred by differencing CERES broadband fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) with collocated surface measurements at 21 SGP sites. For January 1998, the mean atmospheric absorption of SW inferred from observations (148 Wm-2) was considerably larger than the absorption from radiative transfer (113 Wm-2). A longer record (January-June 1998) using only observations indicates that the mean cloud forcing to atmospheric absorption over SGP is only 5 Wm-2; this is considerably lower than the values that would be expected for "anomalous absorption" by cloudy skies.

Note: This is the poster abstract presented at the meeting; an extended version was not provided by the author(s).