Premium
On the link between cloud‐top radiative properties and sub‐cloud aerosol concentrations
Author(s) -
Raga G. B.,
Jonas P. R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
quarterly journal of the royal meteorological society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.744
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1477-870X
pISSN - 0035-9009
DOI - 10.1002/qj.49711951410
Subject(s) - aerosol , cloud albedo , radiative transfer , single scattering albedo , albedo (alchemy) , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , cloud computing , extinction (optical mineralogy) , sea salt aerosol , meteorology , mie scattering , scattering , cloud cover , physics , light scattering , optics , computer science , operating system , art , performance art , sea salt , art history
Microphysical observations obtained in cumulus clouds over the sea are presented and related to background pollution levels. The sub‐cloud aerosol concentrations vary from 50 to 5000 cm −3 , which can hardly be considered ‘maritime’. Observed droplet size distributions are used to determine radiative properties using Mie theory. Functional expressions are derived for the extinction cross‐section and the single scattering albedo as functions of the sub‐cloud aerosol concentrations.