HR: 16:20h
AN: A54D-02    [Abstracts]
TI: Multidecadal regional cloud and radiation changes in several surface and satellite data sets
AU: * Norris, J R
EM: jnorris@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 9500 Gilman Drive 0224, La Jolla, CA 92093-0224 United States
AB: Previous studies indicate that substantial changes in solar radiation measured at the surface have occurred over the past several decades in many regions of the world, but it has been difficult to validate these results with independent data since many of the trends happened before the satellite record began. Synoptic cloud reports provide an alternative means of evaluating surface solar radiation measurements, especially because these data span multiple decades and can therefore be used to assess "global dimming" that largely occurred prior to the satellite era. Recent research by the author demonstrates that top-of-atmosphere seasonal radiative anomalies empirically estimated from surface-observed cloud cover anomalies generally have good agreement with seasonal all-sky radiative anomalies reported by satellite, thus implying that surface radiation anomalies estimated from synoptic cloud reports can be quantitavely compared to surface solar radiation measurements. Satellite data, synoptic cloud reports, and surface solar radiation measurements are compared for the United States, Europe, China, and other regions of the world in order to assess whether reported decadal radiation trends are likely to be real or not and whether they can be attributed to changes in cloud cover.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906)
DE: 0321 Cloud/radiation interaction
DE: 0360 Radiation: transmission and scattering
DE: 3311 Clouds and aerosols
DE: 3359 Radiative processes
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005