The Frequency of Tropopause-level Thick and Thin Cirrus Clouds as Observed by CALIPSO and the Relationship to Relative Humidity and Outgoing Longwave Radiation

The Frequency of Tropopause-level Thick and Thin Cirrus Clouds as Observed by CALIPSO and the Relationship to Relative Humidity and Outgoing Longwave Radiation PDF Author: Allison Leanne Cardona
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Thin cirrus clouds play an important radiative role in the earth's atmosphere and climate system, yet are one of the least understood components of the climate system. With the use of data from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), thin cirrus and thick cloud distributions in the tropics are analyzed at 121, 100, and 82 hPa. Observations obtained between December 2006 and November 2007 show that thin cirrus between 30°ʻN and 30°S occur in close proximity to regions of intense convection and are positively correlated with low values of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). In conjunction with the CALIPSO data, water vapor data from the Earth Observing System (EOS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), OLR data provided by the NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD, Boulder, Colorado, USA, from their Web site at http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/, and linearly interpolated NCEP reanalysis temperature data were used. These data were used to examine how thick and thin cirrus cloud fractions at 121-hPa and 100-hPa are related to relative humidity with respect to ice (RHI), temperature, and OLR. Our observations show that both RHI and convection play important roles in the development and maintenance of thick and thin cirrus clouds at the pressure levels of interest. The highest fractions of clouds are almost always seen within OLR values representative of convection and at relatively high values of RHI. However, when peaks in cloud fraction are found above the convective threshold, higher RHI values are needed than are needed when convection is responsible for the formation and maintenance of these clouds.

The Frequency of Tropopause-level Thick and Thin Cirrus Clouds as Observed by CALIPSO and the Relationship to Relative Humidity and Outgoing Longwave Radiation

The Frequency of Tropopause-level Thick and Thin Cirrus Clouds as Observed by CALIPSO and the Relationship to Relative Humidity and Outgoing Longwave Radiation PDF Author: Allison Leanne Cardona
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Thin cirrus clouds play an important radiative role in the earth's atmosphere and climate system, yet are one of the least understood components of the climate system. With the use of data from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), thin cirrus and thick cloud distributions in the tropics are analyzed at 121, 100, and 82 hPa. Observations obtained between December 2006 and November 2007 show that thin cirrus between 30°ʻN and 30°S occur in close proximity to regions of intense convection and are positively correlated with low values of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR). In conjunction with the CALIPSO data, water vapor data from the Earth Observing System (EOS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), OLR data provided by the NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSD, Boulder, Colorado, USA, from their Web site at http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/, and linearly interpolated NCEP reanalysis temperature data were used. These data were used to examine how thick and thin cirrus cloud fractions at 121-hPa and 100-hPa are related to relative humidity with respect to ice (RHI), temperature, and OLR. Our observations show that both RHI and convection play important roles in the development and maintenance of thick and thin cirrus clouds at the pressure levels of interest. The highest fractions of clouds are almost always seen within OLR values representative of convection and at relatively high values of RHI. However, when peaks in cloud fraction are found above the convective threshold, higher RHI values are needed than are needed when convection is responsible for the formation and maintenance of these clouds.

The Tropopause--radiation and Cirrus Cloud

The Tropopause--radiation and Cirrus Cloud PDF Author: Paul Edward Neevel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Clouds
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Book Description


Abstracts for the AGU Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting

Abstracts for the AGU Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Geophysics
Languages : en
Pages : 444

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Analysis of the Tropical Tropopause Layer Cirrus in Calipso and Mls Data - a Water Perspective

Analysis of the Tropical Tropopause Layer Cirrus in Calipso and Mls Data - a Water Perspective PDF Author: Tao Wang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Two mechanisms appear to be primarily responsible for the formation of cirrus clouds in Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL): detrainment from deep convective anvils and in situ initiation. Here we propose to identify TTL cirrus clouds by analyzing water content measurements from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) and Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). Using ice water content (IWC) and water vapor (H2O) abundances we identify TTL cirrus clouds that contain too much ice to have been formed in situ -- and therefore must be of convective origin. We use two methods to infer amounts of water vapor available for in situ formation. Clouds with IWC greater than this threshold are categorized as being of convective origin; clouds with IWC below the threshold are ambiguous -- they could either form from in situ or still be of convective origin. Applying the thresholds from December 2008 to November 2009, we found that at least 19.2% of tropical cirrus were definitively of convective origin at the tropopause (375 K) during boreal winter. At each level, we found three maxima in the occurrence of convective cirrus: western Pacific, equatorial Africa, and South America. Averaged over the entire tropics (30oS to 30oN), we found convective cirrus occurs more frequently in boreal winter and less frequently in boreal summer, basically following the a decreasing trend from DJF, MAM, SON, to JJA. During boreal summer, we found that only 4.6% of tropical cirrus come from convection. Sensitivity tests show that the thresholds derived at 390 K have the largest uncertainty. At lower levels, especially 375 K, our thresholds are robust.

Cirrus

Cirrus PDF Author: David K. Lynch
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0195130723
Category : Cirrus clouds
Languages : en
Pages : 499

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Book Description
This text, devoted entirely to cirrus clouds, captures the state of knowledge of cirrus clouds and serves as a practical handbook as well.

Mixed-Phase Clouds

Mixed-Phase Clouds PDF Author: Constantin Andronache
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 012810550X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
Mixed-Phase Clouds: Observations and Modeling presents advanced research topics on mixed-phase clouds. As the societal impacts of extreme weather and its forecasting grow, there is a continuous need to refine atmospheric observations, techniques and numerical models. Understanding the role of clouds in the atmosphere is increasingly vital for current applications, such as prediction and prevention of aircraft icing, weather modification, and the assessment of the effects of cloud phase partition in climate models. This book provides the essential information needed to address these problems with a focus on current observations, simulations and applications. - Provides in-depth knowledge and simulation of mixed-phase clouds over many regions of Earth, explaining their role in weather and climate - Features current research examples and case studies, including those on advanced research methods from authors with experience in both academia and the industry - Discusses the latest advances in this subject area, providing the reader with access to best practices for remote sensing and numerical modeling

Light Scattering by Ice Crystals

Light Scattering by Ice Crystals PDF Author: Kuo-Nan Liou
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521889162
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 461

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Book Description
This volume outlines the fundamentals and applications of light scattering, absorption and polarization processes involving ice crystals.

An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation

An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation PDF Author: K. N. Liou
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0124514510
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 599

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Book Description
Fundamentals of radiation for atmospheric applications -- Solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere -- Absorption and scattering of solar radiation in the atmosphere -- Thermal infrared radiation transfer in the atmosphere -- Light scattering by atmospheric particulates -- Principles of radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres -- Application of radiative transfer principles to remote sensing -- Radiation and climate.

Cirrus Clouds in the Extratropical Tropopause and Lowermost Stratosphere Region

Cirrus Clouds in the Extratropical Tropopause and Lowermost Stratosphere Region PDF Author: Irene Bartolomé García
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783958066106
Category : Cirrus clouds
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Climate Intervention

Climate Intervention PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309314852
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
The growing problem of changing environmental conditions caused by climate destabilization is well recognized as one of the defining issues of our time. The root problem is greenhouse gas emissions, and the fundamental solution is curbing those emissions. Climate geoengineering has often been considered to be a "last-ditch" response to climate change, to be used only if climate change damage should produce extreme hardship. Although the likelihood of eventually needing to resort to these efforts grows with every year of inaction on emissions control, there is a lack of information on these ways of potentially intervening in the climate system. As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses albedo modification - changing the fraction of incoming solar radiation that reaches the surface. This approach would deliberately modify the energy budget of Earth to produce a cooling designed to compensate for some of the effects of warming associated with greenhouse gas increases. The prospect of large-scale albedo modification raises political and governance issues at national and global levels, as well as ethical concerns. Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth discusses some of the social, political, and legal issues surrounding these proposed techniques. It is far easier to modify Earth's albedo than to determine whether it should be done or what the consequences might be of such an action. One serious concern is that such an action could be unilaterally undertaken by a small nation or smaller entity for its own benefit without international sanction and regardless of international consequences. Transparency in discussing this subject is critical. In the spirit of that transparency, Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth was based on peer-reviewed literature and the judgments of the authoring committee; no new research was done as part of this study and all data and information used are from entirely open sources. By helping to bring light to this topic area, this book will help leaders to be far more knowledgeable about the consequences of albedo modification approaches before they face a decision whether or not to use them.