HR: 16:30h
AN: A34D-03    [Abstracts]
TI: A comparison of clear-sky OLR between CERES measurements and model calculations and the dependence of OLR on temperature and water vapor
AU: * Dessler, A
EM: adessler@tamu.edu
AF: Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
AU: Yang, P
EM: pyang@ariel.met.tamu.edu
AF: Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
AU: Solbrig, J
EM: jsolbrig@gmail.com
AF: Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
AU: Lee, J
EM: jlee@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
AU: Minschwaner, K
EM: krm@kestrel.nmt.edu
AF: Dept. of Physics, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, United States
AB: We compare nighttime clear-sky outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from a model calculation against measurements from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data set. Our model calculation is driven by profiles of temperature and water vapor from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Using several different radiative transfer models, we find an offset between the model and measurements, with the model tending to predict higher OLR by about 5 watts per square meter. Although this can be explained by uncertainties in the data and model, it is also possible that there is some missing process in the model. We also explore how the atmosphere regulates OLR by looking at the gradients between the dry subtropics and the moist convective regions. We see how changes in water and temperature oppose each other, and how changes in water begin to dominate around 299 K, where the so-called supergreenhouse effect occurs.
DE: 0360 Radiation: transmission and scattering
DE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting