Longwave atmospheric radiation over Antarctica

The seasonal and spatial variation of downward longwave radiation (L↓) at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet is studied using data from four stations. L↓ is found to depend on the fourth power of the surface temperature but on the sixth power of the temperature at the top of the surface inversio...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Author: King, J.C.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: Cambridge University Press 1996
Subjects:
Online Access:http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/515189/
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102096000132
Description
Summary:The seasonal and spatial variation of downward longwave radiation (L↓) at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet is studied using data from four stations. L↓ is found to depend on the fourth power of the surface temperature but on the sixth power of the temperature at the top of the surface inversion layer. The former result is shown to be a consequence of the dominance of longwave radiation in the surface energy balance while the latter raises some questions concerning the radiative properties of Antarctic clouds. Simple parametrizations of L↓ as a function of temperature are suggested; these may find application in validating General Circulation Model radiation calculations over Antarctica.