Radiation transport in the atmosphere - sea ice - ocean system

• Main Author: Jin, Zhonghai
• Other Authors: Stamnes, Knut, Lynch, Amanda, Rees, Manfred H., Shaw, Glenn E., Tsay, Si-Chee, Weeks, Wilford F.
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1995
• Subjects: Physics; Atmospheric Science; Physical oceanography; Fairbanks; ice algae; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11122/9433

Dissertation (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1995 A comprehensive radiative transfer model for the coupled atmosphere-sea ice-ocean system has been developed. The theoretical work required for constructing such a coupled model is described first. This work extends the discrete ordinate method, which has been proven to be effective in studies of radiative transfer in the atmosphere, to solve the radiative transfer problem pertaining to a system consisting of two strata with different indices of refraction, such as the atmosphere-ocean system and the atmosphere-sea ice-ocean system. The relevant changes (as compared to the standard problem with constant index of refraction throughout the medium) in formulation and solution of the radiative transfer equation, including the proper application of interface and boundary conditions, are presented. This solution is then applied to the atmosphere-sea ice-ocean system to study the solar energy balance in this coupled system. The input parameters required by the model are observable physical properties (e.g., the profiles of temperature and gas concentrations in the atmosphere, and the profiles of temperature, density, and salinity in the ice). The atmosphere, sea ice and ocean are each divided into a sufficient number of layers in the vertical to adequately resolve changes in their optical properties. This model rigorously accounts for the multiple scattering and absorption by atmospheric molecules, clouds, snow and sea water, as well as inclusions in the sea ice, such as brine pockets and air bubbles. The effects of various factors on the solar energy distribution in the entire system have been studied quantitatively. These factors include the ice salinity and density variations, cloud microphysics as well as variations in melt ponds and snow cover on the ice surface. Finally, the coupled radiative transfer model is used to study the impacts of clouds, snow and ice algae on the light transport in sea ice and in the ocean, as well as to simulate spectral ...