A Long-Term Cloud Albedo Data Record Since 1980 from UV Satellite Sensors

Black-sky cloud albedo (BCA) is derived from satellite UV 340 nm observations from NOAA and NASA satellites to infer long-term (1980–2018) shortwave cloud albedo variations induced by volcano eruptions, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, and decadal warming. While the UV cloud albedo has shown no lon...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Remote Sensing
Main Authors: Clark J. Weaver, Dong L. Wu, Pawan K. Bhartia, Gordon J. Labow, David P. Haffner
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020
Subjects:
SBUV
OMPS
cloud albedo
diurnal cycle
cloud feedback
ENSO
Science
Q
Antarctic
Greenland
Munk
Antarc*
North Atlantic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12121982
https://doaj.org/article/51597360f3664dd8a4140836b099d20c
Description
Summary:Black-sky cloud albedo (BCA) is derived from satellite UV 340 nm observations from NOAA and NASA satellites to infer long-term (1980–2018) shortwave cloud albedo variations induced by volcano eruptions, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, and decadal warming. While the UV cloud albedo has shown no long-term trend since 1980, there are statistically significant reductions over the North Atlantic and over the marine stratocumulus decks off the coast of California; increases in cloud albedo can be seen over Southeast Asia and over cloud decks off the coast of South America. The derived BCA assumes a C-1 water cloud model with varying cloud optical depths and a Cox–Munk surface BRDF over the ocean, using radiances calibrated over the East Antarctic Plateau and Greenland ice sheets during summer.

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