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The effects of cloud radiative forcing on an ocean-covered planet
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Randall, David A. |
| Copyright Year | 1990 |
| Description | Cumulus anvil clouds, whose importance has been emphasized by observationalists in recent years, exert a very powerful influence on deep tropical convection by tending to radiatively destabilize the troposphere. In addition, they radiatively warm the column in which they reside. Their strong influence on the simulated climate argues for a much more refined parameterization in the General Circulation Model (GCM). For Seaworld, the atmospheric cloud radiative forcing (ACRF) has a powerful influence on such basic climate parameters as the strength of the Hadley circulation, the existence of a single narrow InterTropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), and the precipitable water content of the atmosphere. It seems likely, however, that in the real world the surface CRF feeds back negatively to suppress moist convection and the associated cloudiness, and so tends to counteract the effects of the ACRF. Many current climate models have fixed sea surface temperatures but variable land-surface temperatures. The tropical circulations of such models may experience a position feedback due to ACRF over the oceans, and a negative or weak feedback due to surface CRF over the land. The overall effects of the CRF on the climate system can only be firmly established through much further analysis, which can benefit greatly from the use of a coupled ocean-atmospheric model. |
| File Size | 447515 |
| Page Count | 5 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19910001143 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t6p032x92 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1990-07-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Meteorology And Climatology Atmospheric Circulation Climate Atmospheric Models Troposphere Sea Surface Temperature Water Vapor Parameterization Convection Tropical Regions Cloud Cover Negative Feedback Cumulus Clouds Anvil Clouds Moisture Content Destabilization Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
