Cloud Effects on Atmospheric Solar Absorption in Light of Most Recent Surface, Satellite, and GCM Datasets

Abstract:

At 45 stations worldwide, we estimate the atmospheric solar absorption through combining ground-based measurements of surface solar radiation (SSR) with collocated satellite-derived surface albedo and top-of-atmosphere net irradiance under both, all-sky and clear-sky conditions. To derive continuous clear-sky SSR from Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) in-situ measurements of global and diffuse SSR, we make use of the Long and Ackerman (2000) algorithm that identifies clear-sky measurements and empirically fits diurnal clear-sky irradiance functions using the cosine of the solar zenith angle as the independent variable. The 11-year average (2000-2010) cloud radiative effect (all-sky minus clear-sky) on atmospheric absorption at these sites is overall positive at around +10 Wm⁻² using the ground-based data, and at 3 Wm⁻² in the CERES EBAF product. This discrepancy arises from a potential overestimate in clear-sky absorption by the satellite product, while the all-sky absorption agrees reasonably well. We estimate the multi-model mean cloud effect from 40 CMIP5 historical simulations at 3 Wm⁻², which is in agreement with the CERES EBAF estimates at the surface sites.

Under all-sky conditions, we found the atmospheric solar absorption, derived from CERES EBAF data, to be largely unaffected by variations in latitude (-60deg - 60deg N), remaining nearly constant at its regional mean of 23±2 %, relative to the respective top-of-atmosphere incident radiation. The zonal means follow the imprint of spatial variations in water vapor path, surface albedo, and aerosols. While the clear-sky atmospheric absorption is generally lower over the oceans as compared to the land, the positive effect of clouds is more pronounced. As the cloud radiative effect due to low-level clouds acts stronger in the extra-tropics than in equatorial regions, where predominantly high clouds prevail, the zonal mean distribution of atmospheric solar absorption appears smoother and more constant under all-sky than under clear-sky conditions.