Transmittance of the Atmosphere for the Photosynthetically Available Radiation Over the Arctic Ocean 2000-2016 ...

• Main Author: Laliberté, Julien
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2020
• Subjects: Arctic Ocean; Climate change; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5884/13179; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch?doi_id=13179

We investigated the variations of atmospheric transmittance to Photosynthetically Available Radiation (400nm-700nm) at a pan-Arctic scale between 2000 and 2016. We combined a large dataset of atmospheric and surface Arctic conditions derived from satellites into a radiative transfer model. MODIS atmosphere products (Aqua and Terra), including aerosols, gases and clouds, as well as sea ice age, sea ice concentration and early melt onset, melt onset, early freeze onset and freeze onset were all combined into the atmospheric radiative transfer to estimate the photosynthetically available radiation incident onto the surface of the Arctic Ocean (mol photons per day per square meter). This generated the variable Ed_0plus_daily. The variables Ed_0plus_Clear_daily and Ed_0plus_daily_OW were generated by removing the clouds and sea ice from the simulations, respectively. Finally, the TOA_down variable is computed as the extraterrestrial incident photosynthetically available radiation. All variables are computed ... : Using satellite observations and models, the dataset support a quantitative evaluation of how the transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation changed over recent times in the Arctic. The study was conducted to inquire on changes in atmospheric transmittance to Photosynthetically Available Radiation in relation with Arctic climate-change. Input data were all satellite-based. ...