Factors Influencing the Mesoscale Variations in Marine Stratocumulus Albedo

Abstract

Measurements of both horizontal gradients and vertical profiles of aerosols, cloud droplets and thermodynamic parameters in the cloud topped marine boundary layer off of central California are presented. They suggest that, while aerosols can indeed modulate cloud albedo, other parameters such as sea surface temperature may similarly affect cloud albedo. Additionally, the impact of aerosols, through sedimentation and precipitation, on cloud optical depths and thus albedo is not always in accord with conventional expectations and can either enhance or decrease the albedo, depending on ambient conditions. Taken together, these results suggest that current estimates of indirect forcing by aerosols could be significantly in error.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA479811

Entities

People

  • D. A. Hegg
  • D. S. Covert
  • H. H. Jonsson
  • K. Nielsen
  • P. A. Durkee

Organizations

  • University of Washington

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • California
  • Clouds
  • Data Sets
  • Equations Of State
  • Isotherms
  • Layers
  • Measurement
  • Meteorology
  • Precipitation
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Surface Temperature
  • Trajectories

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Solar Physics