Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Satellite Observations of Radiation and Clouds to Diagnose Energy Exchanges in the Climate: Part II

  • Conference paper
Energy and Water Cycles in the Climate System

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASII,volume 5))

Abstract

Since the early part of this century, we have had a fairly accurate idea of the variations of cloud cover among different climate zones, except for the more remote portions of the tropical and southern oceans and polar regions (Hughes 1984). Standardization of cloud classification for surface weather observers after the Second World War has also provided a long record of changing cloud morphological types (Warren et al. 1986, 1988). However, quantitative information on the physical properties of clouds has been lacking, particularly for those properties that determine their influence on radiative energy exchanges. Recent analyses of satellite datasets, particularly by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), are providing the first global surveys of some of these cloud properties (Rossow and Schiffer 1991). The results presented below come from ISCCP.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Ardanuy PE, Stowe LL, Gruber A, Weiss M (1991) Shortwave, longwave and net cloud-radiative forcing as determined from NIMBUS-7 observations. J Geophys Res 96: 18537–18549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Betts AK, Harshvardhan (1984) Thermodynamic constraint on the cloud liquid water feedback in climate models. J Geophys Res 92:8483–8485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu R, DelGenio AD, Rossow WB (1990) Behaviour of deep convective clouds in the tropical Pacific deduced from ISCCP radiances. J Atmos Sci 3:1129–1152

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham N, Barnett TP (1987) Observations of sea surface temperature and convection over tropical oceans. Science 238:657–659

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison EF, Minnis P, Barkstrom BR, Ramanathan V, Cess RD, Gibson GG (1990) Seasonal variation of cloud radiative forcing derived from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. J Geophys Res 95:18687–18703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes (1984) Global cloud climatologies: A historical review. J Climate Appl Meteor 23:724–751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Machado LAT, Rossow WB (1992) Structural characteristics and radiative properties of tropical cloud clusters. Mon Wea Rev (submitted)

    Google Scholar 

  • Machado LAT, Desbois M, Duvel J-P (1991) Structural characteristics of deep convective systems over tropical Africa and Atlantic Ocean. Mon Wea Rev 120: 392–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls S (1984) The dynamics of stratocumulus: Aircraft observations and comparisons with a mixed layer and model. Quart J Roy Meteor Soc 110:783–870

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Price C, Rind D (1992) A simple lightning parameterization for calculating global lightning distributions. J Geophys Res 97: 9919–9933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossow WB, Lacis AA (1990) Global, seasonal cloud variations from satellite radiance measurements. Part II: Cloud properties and radiative effects. J Climate 3:1204–1253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossow WB, Schiffer RA (1991) ISCCP cloud data products. Bull Amer Meteor Soc 72:2–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Somerville RCJ, Remer LA (1984) Cloud optical thickness feedbacks in the CO2 climate problem. J Geophys Res 89:9668–9672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens GL, Webster PJ (1981) Clouds and climate: Sensitivity of simple systems. J Atmos Sci 38:235–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tselioudis G, Rossow WB, Rind D (1992) Global patterns of cloud optical thickness variation with temperature. J Climate: in press

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace JM, Hobbs PV (1977) Atmospheric Science, An Introductory Survey. New York, Academic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren SG, Hahn CJ, London J, Chervin RM, Jenne RL (1986) Global distribution of total cloud and cloud type amounts over land. NCAR Tech Note TN-273+STR/DOE Tech. Rep. ER/60085-H1. 29 pp. + 200 maps

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren SG, Hahn CJ, London J, Chervin RM, Jenne RL (1988) Global distribution of total cloud and cloud type amounts over the ocean. NCAR Tech Note TN-317+STR/DOE Tech. Rep. ER-0406. 42 pp. + 170 maps

    Book  Google Scholar 

Additional Reading

  • Hughes (1984) Global cloud climatologies: A historical review. J Climate Appl Meteor 23:724–751

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossow WB, Schiffer RA (1991) ISCCP cloud data products. Bull Amer Meteor Soc 72:2–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stowe LL, Yeh HTM, Eck TF, Wellemeyer CG, Kyle HL, the NIMBUS-7 Cloud Data Processing Team (1989) NIMBUS-7 global cloud climatology. Part II: First year results. J Climate 2:671–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren SG, Hahn CJ, London J, Chervin RM, Jenne RL (1986) Global distribution of total cloud and cloud type amounts over land. NCAR Tech Note TN-273+STR/DOE Tech. Rep. ER/60085-H1. 29 pp. + 200 maps

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren SG, Hahn CJ, London J, Chervin RM, Jenne RL (1988) Global distribution of total cloud and cloud type amounts over the ocean. NCAR Tech Note TN-317+STR/DOE Tech. Rep. ER-0406. 42 pp. + 170 maps

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cess RD (1976) Climate change: An appraisal of atmospheric feedback mechanisms employing zonal climatology. J Atmos Sci 33:1831–1843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen J, Lacis A, Rind D, Russell G, Stone P, Fung I, Ruedy R, Lerner J (1984) Climate sensitivity: Analysis of feedback mechanisms. Climate Processes and Climate Sensitivity. Geophys Monogr Ser, Vol. 29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison EF, Minnis P, Barkstrom BR, Ramanathan V, Cess RD, Gibson GG (1990) Seasonal variation of cloud radiative forcing derived from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. J Geophys Res 95:18687–18703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann DL, Short DA (1980) On the use of earth radiation budget statistics for studies of clouds and climate. J Atmos Sci 39:431–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann DL, Doelling D (1991) On the net radiative effectiveness of clouds. J Geophys Res 96:1204–1253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paltridge GW (1974) Global cloud cover and earth surface temperature. J Atmos Sci 31:1571–1576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossow WB, Lacis AA (1990c) Global, seasonal cloud variations from satellite radiance measurements. Part II: Cloud properties and radiative effects. J Climate 3:1204–1253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider SW (1972) Cloudiness as a global climate feedback mechanism: The effects on the radiative balance and surface temperature of variations in cloudiness. J Atmos Sci 29:1413–1422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens GL, Webster PJ (1981) Clouds and climate: Sensitivity of simple systems. J Atmos Sci 38:235–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens GL, Greenwald TJ (1991a) The Earth’s radiation budget and its relation to atmospheric hydrology, 1, Observations of the clear sky greenhouse effect. J Geophys Res 96: 15311–15324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stephens GL, Greenwald TJ (1991b) The Earth’s radiation budget and its relation to atmospheric hydrology, 2, Observations of cloud effects. J Geophys Res 96:15325–15340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang W-C, Rossow WB, Yao M-S, Wolfson M (1981) Climate sensitivity of a one-dimensional radiative-convective model with cloud feedback. J Atmos Sci 38:1167–1178

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA, New York, 10025, NY, USA

    William B. Rossow

Authors
  1. William B. Rossow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. GKSS Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße, 2054, Geesthacht, Germany

    Ehrhard Raschke  & Daniela Jacob  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Rossow, W.B. (1993). Satellite Observations of Radiation and Clouds to Diagnose Energy Exchanges in the Climate: Part II. In: Raschke, E., Jacob, D. (eds) Energy and Water Cycles in the Climate System. NATO ASI Series, vol 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76957-3_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76957-3_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-76959-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-76957-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation