Open AccessDependence of ‘critical cloud fraction’ on aerosol composition
Author(s) -
Eswaran K.,
Satheesh S. K.,
Srinivasan J.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl2.571
Subject(s) - aerosol , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer , radiative forcing , spectroradiometer , lidar , radiative transfer , forcing (mathematics) , satellite , meteorology , remote sensing , physics , optics , reflectivity , geology , astronomy
Recent studies, over regions influenced by biomass burning aerosol, have shown that it is possible to define a ‘critical cloud fraction’ ( CCF ) at which the aerosol direct radiative forcing switch from a cooling to a warming effect. Using 4 years of multi‐satellite data analysis, we show that CCF varies with aerosol composition and changed from 0.28 to 0.13 from postmonsoon to winter as a result of shift from less absorbing to moderately absorbing aerosol. Our results indicate that we can estimate aerosol absorption from space using independently measured top of the atmosphere ( TOA ) fluxes [Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization‐Moderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System ( CALIPSO‐MODIS ‐ CERES )] combined algorithms for example.