An Overview of the Disposition of Solar Radiation in the Lower Atmosphere: Connections to the SORCE Mission and Climate Change |
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Authors: | Peter Pilewskie Gary Rottman Erik Richard |
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Institution: | (2) Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, U.S.A. |
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Abstract: | Solar radiation is the primary energy source for many processes in Earth's environment and is responsible for driving the
atmospheric and oceanic circulation. The integrated strength and spectral distribution of solar radiation is modified from
the space-based {Solar {Radiation and {Climate (SORCE) measurements through scattering and absorption processes in the atmosphere
and at the surface. Understanding how these processes perturb the distribution of radiative flux density is essential in determining
the climate response to changes in concentration of various gases and aerosol particles from natural and anthropogenic sources,
as is discerning their associated feedback mechanisms. The past decade has been witness to a tremendous effort to quantify
the absorption of solar radiation by clouds and aerosol particles via airborne and space-based observations. Vastly improved
measurement and modeling capabilities have enhanced our ability to quantify the radiative energy budget, yet gaps persist
in our knowledge of some fundamental variables. This paper reviews some of the many advances in atmospheric solar radiative
transfer as well as those areas where large uncertainties remain. The SORCE mission's primary contribution to the energy budget
studies is the specification of the solar total and spectral irradiance at the top of the atmosphere. |
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