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Global Estimates of Changes in Shortwave Low‐Cloud Albedo and Fluxes Due to Variations in Cloud Droplet Number Concentration Derived From CERES‐MODIS Satellite Sensors
Author(s) -
Painemal David
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2018gl078880
Subject(s) - shortwave , moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer , albedo (alchemy) , cloud albedo , environmental science , atmospheric sciences , satellite , spectroradiometer , extratropical cyclone , aerosol , radiative transfer , cloud top , climatology , flux (metallurgy) , cloud cover , cloud computing , meteorology , geology , geography , physics , reflectivity , optics , operating system , quantum mechanics , metallurgy , art history , astronomy , performance art , art , materials science , computer science
Fifteen years of Aqua Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy Systems (CERES) and MOderate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations are combined to derive nearly global maps of shortwave albedo ( A ) and flux ( F ) response to changes in cloud droplet number concentration ( N d ). Absolute ( S a = ∂ A ∂ N d) and relative ( S r = ∂ A ∂ ln N d) albedo susceptibilities are computed by exploiting the linear relationship between A and ln ( N d ) for shallow liquid clouds. Subtropical stratiform clouds over the eastern Pacific, eastern Atlantic, and off the coast of eastern Asia yield the highest S r , followed by the extratropical oceans during their hemispheric summer. When S r is cast in terms of F , the eastern Pacific clouds dominate S r . S a is mainly governed by N d , with offshore clouds producing high S a . While both S a and S r are advantageous for understanding radiative aspects of the aerosol indirect effect, S r is more suitable for calculating changes in A and F due to the linearity of the A ‐ln ( N d ) relationship.