P3.3
Development of New-generation Global Data Sets on Surface Solar Radiation Budget and Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (APAR)
Zhanqing Li, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Surface Solar Radiation Budget (SSRB) is a major surface energy boundary condition, while surface Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation(APAR) affects both terrestrial and marine productivity. Satellite-based global SSRB products have been widely used for a variety of studies. Since the release of previous versions of SSRB products generated from various satellite programs such as the ISCCP and ERBE, our understanding of the inversion algorithms and input data sets essential to retrieving these quantities have improved substantially, warranting development of new generations of products to 1) extend the data period and 2) to overcome numerous limitations identified. As far as our algorithm (Li et al. 1993) and product of SSRB (Li and Leighton 1993) are concerned, potential major improvements include 1) use of improved retrieving algorithms that account for some variables missed in the original algorithm; 2) use of the latest global aerosol product to account for their effects. Absorbing aerosols have particularly large impact on the accuracy of regional SSRB estimates; 3) use of cloud top data to improve the overall accuracy. Cloud top is found to alter critically how much solar radiation absorbed in the atmosphere and thus influence the retrieval quality. Other improvements are contingent upon the availability of additional parameters. Considerable efforts will be devoted to the validation of the product. The new product will provide a better knowledge on the energy disposition and global aerosol forcing. This is an ongoing project and up-to-date results will be presented, pending on the progress of the project.
Poster Session 3, Radiation at the Surface (Parallel with Poster Session P4)
Friday, 7 June 2002, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
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