Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Zhao, Chuanfeng
• Garrett, Timothy J.

Titel

Effects of Arctic haze on surface cloud radiative forcing

Ist Teil von

• Geophysical research letters, 2015-01, Vol.42 (2), p.557-564

Ort / Verlag

Washington: Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2015

Quelle

Wiley Online Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• From 4 years of observations from Barrow, Alaska, it is shown that the cloud radiative impact on the surface is a net warming effect between October and May and a net cooling in summer. During episodes of high surface haze aerosol concentrations and cloudy skies, both the net warming and net cooling are amplified, ranging from +12.2 Wm−2 in February to −11.8 Wm−2 in August. In liquid clouds, approximately 50%–70% of this change is caused by changes in cloud particle effective radius, with the remainder being caused by unknown atmospheric feedbacks that increase cloud water path. While the yearly averaged warming and cooling effects nearly cancel, the timing of the forcing may be a relevant control of the amplitude and timing of sea ice melt. Key Points Clouds warm the surface at Barrow, AK, except during the summer Aerosol haze strengthens cloud warming in winter and cloud cooling in summer In liquid clouds, 30‐50% of the added surface forcing is due to increased LWP