Quantifying the respective roles of aerosols and clouds in the strong brightening since the early 2000s over the Iberian Peninsula
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dc.date.accessioned
2017-02-28T15:11:49Z
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2017-02-28T15:11:49Z
dc.date.issued
2014-09-16
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2169-897X
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dc.description.abstract
The contribution of clouds and aerosols to the decadal variations of downward surface shortwave radiation (SSR) is a current controversial topic. This study proposes a method, which is based on surface-based SSR measurements, aerosol observations, and radiative transfer simulations (in cloud-free and cloud-and aerosol-free scenarios), to evaluate cloud-aerosol (CARE), cloud (CRE), and aerosol (ARE) radiative effects. This method is applied to quantify the role played by, separately, clouds and aerosols on the intense brightening of the SSR observed in the Iberian Peninsula. Clouds and Earth's Radiation Energy Budget System (CERES) and surface-based data exhibit an increase in SSR between 2003 and 2012, exceeding +10 Wm-2 over this period for some areas of the peninsula. The calculations are performed for three surface-based sites: Barcelona and Valladolid (Spain), and Évora (Portugal). Ranges in monthly values of CARE, CRE, and ARE are (-80,-20), (-60,-20), and (-30, 0), respectively (in Wm-2). The average trends for the analyzed period of CARE, CRE, and ARE are +7, +5, and +2 Wm-2 per decade, respectively. Overall, three fourths of the SSR trend is explained by clouds, while the other one fourth is related to aerosol changes. The SSR trends explained by the clouds and aerosol radiative effects are in line with the observed reductions in total cloud cover and aerosol load (both at the surface and in the whole atmospheric column). Furthermore, the CRE values are compared against CERES data showing good agreement between both data series, although some discrepancies are observed in their trends
dc.description.sponsorship
Josep Calbó is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation project NUCLIERSOL (CGL2010-18546)
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application/pdf
dc.language.iso
eng
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
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info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MICINN//CGL2010-18546/ES/LAS NUBES Y SUS EFECTOS SOBRE LA RADIACION: DEL ESTUDIO DE SITUACIONES A ESCALA LOCAL AL ANALISIS CLIMATOLOGICO DE ALCANCE GLOBAL. INTERACCIONES CON EL AEROSOL ATMOSFERICO/
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Reproducció digital del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014JD022076
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© Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, 2014, vol. 119, núm. 17, p. 10382-10393
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Articles publicats (D-F)
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dc.title
Quantifying the respective roles of aerosols and clouds in the strong brightening since the early 2000s over the Iberian Peninsula
dc.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.rights.accessRights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.embargo.terms
Cap
dc.type.version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.doi
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dc.relation.ProjectAcronym
dc.identifier.eissn
2169-8996