A comparison of SHEBA and North Slope of Alaska surface cloud forcing

Understanding cloud forcing at high latitudes is especially important since energy exchanges can have such large consequences to the ice and snow covered surfaces. How clouds influence both the surface longwave and shortwave radiation is a complex function of the cloud properties themselves, as well as the surface characteristics, solar angles and the state of the atmosphere.

In this paper, we compare cloud forcing results from Arctic Ocean measurements obtained (over an annual cycle) during the SHEBA experiment to cloud forcing values over a more southerly and coastal location using measurements at the DOE/North Slope of Alaska site. A discussion will be presented of each site's meteorological and surface characteristics, the comparative cloud influences, the data sets used to determine cloud forcing estimates, and implications at each site in terms of potential changes in cloud conditions.