HR: 1340h
AN: A53A-0159    [Abstracts]
TI: Assimilation of satellite radiances as a tool for studying the influence of the absorbing properties of aerosols on direct radiative forcing
AU: * Bergstrom, R W
EM: bergstrom@baeri.org
AF: Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 560 Third St. West, Sonoma, CA 95476 United States
AU: Houben, H
A53A-0159 AF: Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 560 Third St. West, Sonoma, CA 95476 United States
AU: Guan, H
EM: guan@clio.arc.nasa.gov
AF: Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 560 Third St. West, Sonoma, CA 95476 United States
AU: Chatfield, R
EM: chatfiled@mail.arc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Ames Research Center, Earth Science Division MS 245-5, Moffett Field, CA 94035 United States
AU: Russell, P B
EM: Philip.B.Russell@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Ames Research Center, Earth Science Division MS 245-5, Moffett Field, CA 94035 United States
AU: Pilewskie, P
EM: peter.pilewskie@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AB: Atmospheric aerosol absorption of radiation, which is particularly important for dust and black carbon, plays a critical role in determing the overall direct radiative forcing. We are studying the influence of the absorption properties of aerosols by combining a global chemistry and aerosol transport numerical model with a sophisticated radiative transfer model. We are using aerosol absorption properties determined from a number of field programs (SAFARI 2000, PRIDE, ACE Asia). Additionally, we are incorporating satellite data into our modeling to obtain substantially better scientific understanding of aerosol and combustion product sources and transport. A new technique is available which allows the assimilation of observations with little foreknowledge of the observed system. The new methodology requires that the observed quantity (in this case satellite radiances) be the primary assimilation variable. We are utilizing an existing aerosol transport model (the NCAR MATCH global numerical model), adapting its assimilation methodology slightly to get the benefits of the new technique, and adding our radiative transfer model to predict satellite radiances at each model node (i.e., to produce synthetic satellite images for each model timestep). The result should be much improved and better constrained aerosol modeling, which will give more insight into questions of the climatic impact of aerosols. We are currently investigating the ACE-Asia field experiment region and time frame of April 2001. We are using the geosynchronous GMS-5 satellite data for our data assimilation. The East Asian area has both dust and black carbon aerosols making accurate simulations challenging. We will show the influence of the assimilated radiances on the model results, including radiative forcing by absorbing aerosols.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906)
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005