scholarly journals Full-Spectrum Correlated-k Distribution for Shortwave Atmospheric Radiative Transfer

2004 ◽  
Vol 61 (21) ◽  
pp. 2588-2601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Pawlak ◽  
Eugene E. Clothiaux ◽  
Michael F. Modest ◽  
Jason N. S. Cole

Abstract The full-spectrum correlated k-distribution (FSCK) method, originally developed for applications in combustion systems, is adapted for use in shortwave atmospheric radiative transfer. By weighting k distributions by the solar source function, the FSCK method eliminates the requirement that the Planck function be constant over a spectral interval. As a consequence, integration may be carried out across the full spectrum as long as the assumption of correlation from one atmospheric level to the next remains valid. Problems with the lack of correlation across the full spectrum are removed by partitioning the spectrum at a wavelength of 0.68 μm into two bands. The resulting two-band approach in the FSCK formalism produces broadband rms clear-sky flux and heating rate errors less than 1% and 6%, respectively, relative to monochromatic calculations and requires only 15 quadrature points per layer, which represents a 60%–90% reduction in computation time relative to other models currently in use. An evaluation of fluxes calculated by the FSCK method in cases with idealized clouds demonstrates that gray cloud scattering in two spectral bands is sufficient to reproduce line-by-line generated fluxes. Two different approaches for modeling absorption by cloud drops were also examined. Explicitly including nongray cloud absorption in solar source function-weighted k distributions results in realistic in-cloud heating rates, although in-cloud heating rates were underpredicted by approximately 8%–12% as compared to line-by-line results. A gray cloud absorption parameter chosen to fit line-by-line results optimally for one cloud or atmospheric profile but applied to different cloud combinations or profiles, also closely approximated line-by-line heating rates.

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 2086-2100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin J. Hogan

Abstract The correlated-k-distribution (CKD) method is widely used in the radiative transfer schemes of atmospheric models; it involves dividing the spectrum into a number of bands and then reordering the gaseous absorption coefficients within each one. The fluxes and heating rates for each band may then be computed by discretizing the reordered spectrum into O(10) quadrature points per major gas and performing a pseudomonochromatic radiation calculation for each point. In this paper it is first argued that for clear-sky longwave calculations, sufficient accuracy for most applications can be achieved without the need for bands: reordering may be performed on the entire longwave spectrum. The resulting full-spectrum correlated-k (FSCK) method requires significantly fewer pseudomonochromatic calculations than standard CKD to achieve a given accuracy. The concept is first demonstrated by comparing with line-by-line calculations for an atmosphere containing only water vapor, in which it is shown that the accuracy of heating rate calculations improves approximately in proportion to the square of the number of quadrature points. For more than around 20 points, the root-mean-square error flattens out at around 0.015 K day−1 due to the imperfect rank correlation of absorption spectra at different pressures in the profile. The spectral overlap of m different gases is treated by considering an m-dimensional hypercube where each axis corresponds to the reordered spectrum of one of the gases. This hypercube is then divided up into a number of volumes, each approximated by a single quadrature point, such that the total number of quadrature points is slightly fewer than the sum of the number that would be required to treat each of the gases separately. The gaseous absorptions for each quadrature point are optimized such that they minimize a cost function expressing the deviation of the heating rates and fluxes calculated by the FSCK method from line-by-line calculations for a number of training profiles. This approach is validated for atmospheres containing water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone, in which it is found that in the troposphere and most of the stratosphere, heating rate errors of less than 0.2 K day−1 can be achieved using a total of 23 quadrature points, decreasing to less than 0.1 K day−1 for 32 quadrature points. It would be relatively straightforward to extend the method to include other gases.


2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 3303-3319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Louis Dufresne ◽  
Richard Fournier ◽  
Christophe Hourdin ◽  
Frédéric Hourdin

Abstract The net exchange formulation (NEF) is an alternative to the usual radiative transfer formulation. It was proposed by two authors in 1967, but until now, this formulation has been used only in a very few cases for atmospheric studies. The aim of this paper is to present the NEF and its main advantages and to illustrate them in the case of planet Mars. In the NEF, the radiative fluxes are no longer considered. The basic variables are the net exchange rates between each pair of atmospheric layers i, j. NEF offers a meaningful matrix representation of radiative exchanges, allows qualification of the dominant contributions to the local heating rates, and provides a general framework to develop approximations satisfying reciprocity of radiative transfer as well as the first and second principles of thermodynamics. This may be very useful to develop fast radiative codes for GCMs. A radiative code developed along those lines is presented for a GCM of Mars. It is shown that computing the most important optical exchange factors at each time step and the other exchange factors only a few times a day strongly reduces the computation time without any significant precision lost. With this solution, the computation time increases proportionally to the number N of the vertical layers and no longer proportionally to its square N 2. Some specific points, such as numerical instabilities that may appear in the high atmosphere and errors that may be introduced if inappropriate treatments are performed when reflection at the surface occurs, are also investigated.


Radio Science ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Melsheimer ◽  
C. Verdes ◽  
S. A. Buehler ◽  
C. Emde ◽  
P. Eriksson ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 20673-20727
Author(s):  
M. R. Perrone ◽  
A. Bergamo ◽  
V. Bellantone

Abstract. The clear-sky, instantaneous Direct Radiative Effect (DRE) by all and anthropogenic particles is calculated during Sahara dust intrusions in the Mediterranean basin, to evaluate the role of anthropogenic particle's radiative effects and to obtain a better estimate of the DRE by desert dust. The clear-sky aerosol DRE is calculated by a two stream radiative transfer model in the solar (0.3–4 μm) and infrared (4–200 μm) spectral range, at the top of the atmosphere (ToA) and at the Earth's surface (sfc). Aerosol optical properties by AERONET sun-sky photometer measurements and aerosol vertical profiles by EARLINET lidar measurements, both performed at Lecce (40.33° N, 18.10° E) during Sahara dust intrusions occurred from 2003 to 2006 year, are used to perform radiative transfer simulations. Instantaneous values at 0.44 μm of the real (n) and imaginary (k) refractive index and of the of aerosol optical depth (AOD) vary within the 1.33–1.55, 0.0037–0.014, and 0.2–0.7 range, respectively during the analyzed dust outbreaks. Fine mode particles contribute from 34% to 85% to the AOD by all particles. The complex atmospheric chemistry of the Mediterranean basin that is also influenced by regional and long-range transported emissions from continental Europe and the dependence of dust optical properties on soil properties of source regions and transport pathways, are responsible for the high variability of n, k, and AOD values and of the fine mode particle contribution. Instantaneous all-wave (solar+infrared) DREs that are negative as a consequence of the cooling effect by aerosol particles, span the – (32–10) Wm−2 and the – (44–20) Wm−2 range at the ToA and surface, respectively. The instantaneous all-wave DRE by anthropogenic particles that is negative, varies within – (13–7) Wm−2 and – (18–11) Wm−2 at the ToA and surface, respectively. It represents from 41% up to 89% and from 32% up to 67% of the all-wave DRE by all particles at the ToA and surface, respectively during the analysed dust outbreaks. A linear relationship to calculate the DRE by natural particles in the solar and infrared spectral range is provided.


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