Treatment of Solar and Thermal Radiation in Global Climate Models

Abstract:

It is the interaction of solar and thermal radiation with the climate system constituents that determines the prevailing climate on Earth. The principal radiative constituents of the climate system are clouds, aerosols, greenhouse gases, and the ground surface. Accurate rendering of their interaction with the incident solar radiation and the outgoing thermal radiation is required if a climate model is to be capable of simulating and predicting the complex changes that take place in the terrestrial climate system. In the GISS climate model, these radiative tasks are accomplished with a GCM radiation model that utilizes the correlated k-distribution treatment that closely matches Line-by-Line accuracy (Lacis and Oinas, 1991) for the gaseous absorbers, and an adaptation of the doubling/adding method (Lacis and Hansen, 1974) to compute multiple scattering by clouds and aerosols. The radiative parameters to model the spectral dependence of solar and longwave radiation (UV to microwave) utilizes Mie scattering and T-matrix calculations covering the broad range of particle sizes and compositions encountered in the climate system. Cloud treatment also incorporates an empirical representation of sub-grid inhomogeneity and space-time variability of cloud optical properties (derived from ISCCP data) that utilizes a Monte Carlo-based re-scaling parameterization of the cloud plane-parallel radiative parameters (Cairns et al, 2001). The longwave calculations compute correlated k-distribution radiances at three quadrature points (without scattering), and include the effects of cloud scattering in parameterized form for the outgoing and downwelling LW fluxes. For hygroscopic aerosols (e.g., sulfates, nitrates, sea salt), the effects of changing relative humidity on particle size and refractive index are explicitly taken into account. In this way, the GISS GCM radiation model calculates the SW and LW radiative fluxes, and the corresponding radiative heating and cooling rates in response to structural changes that occur in the global environment. In addition, the radiation model fulfills a diagnostic and analysis role in providing spectral information for making model performance comparisons to observational data, and for enabling quantitative attribution of radiative forcing and feedback changes.