HR: 14:20h
AN: A13F-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Global Aerosol Radiative Forcing using Satellite and Surface Measurements
AU: * Patadia, F
EM: falguni@nsstc.uah.edu
AF: The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 320 Sparkman Dr, Huntsville, AL 35806, United States
AU: Christopher, S A
EM: sundar@nsstc.uah.edu
AF: The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 320 Sparkman Dr, Huntsville, AL 35806, United States
AB: Over the industrial period, aerosols have increased due to human activities and their effects on climate are the largest source of uncertainty in the current IPCC estimates of global climate forcing due to human activities. Inhomogeneous distribution of aerosols in space and time poses a challenge in their characterization and requires global measurements to assess their effects and reduce the associated uncertainties. In this paper we use global measurements from both satellite and ground based observations for one year time period to estimate the shortwave aerosol radiative forcing (SWARF) at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) and discuss the associated uncertainties. For this, aerosol properties (optical depth) derived from AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET), a federation of ground-based remote sensing instruments, are used in this paper in conjunction with measurements of the TOA shortwave flux from CERES instrument (onboard Terra satellite). High spectral and spatial resolution observations from Imager (MODIS) will be used to identify clear sky conditions within CERES foot print and GOCART results will also be used for separating aerosol types. Global aerosol forcing and corresponding radiative forcing efficiencies will be presented as a function of major aerosol types [including anthropogenic (sulfate, soot, black carbon) and natural (dust) aerosols], region and season. This study should serve as a useful constraint for both numerical modeling simulations and satellite based estimates of SWARF.
DE: 4806 Carbon cycling (0428)
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting