Do Satellites Detect Trends in Surface Solar Radiation?

Pinker, R. T.; Zhang, Banglin; Dutton, Ellsworth G

doi:10.1126/science.1103159

Cited by 426 publications

(311 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…This confirms the well known phenomenon of global dimming and global brightening [Stanhill and Cohen, 2001;Liepert, 2002;Pinker et al, 2005;Wild et al, 2005] in Europe. Though DTR is closely correlated to SSR it does not show a significant trend in any of the tested trend models.…”

Section: Statistical Trend Analysis Of European Mean Anomaliessupporting

confidence: 74%

On the relationship between diurnal temperature range and surface solar radiation in Europe

et al. 2009

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[1] The surface solar radiation (SSR) is an important factor influencing the local and global energy budget. However, information on the spatial and temporal variation of SSR is limited. A more commonly available measure, which may provide such information, is the diurnal temperature range (DTR). In this study we analyze the relationship between DTR and SSR in Europe between 1970 and 2005 on seasonal and decadal scale. When comparing the mean anomalies time series composed of 31 pairs of sites with long-term SSR and DTR measurements, we found a correlation coefficient of 0.87 in the annual mean and between 0.61 and 0.92 in the seasonal mean anomalies. When investigating the individual pairs of SSR and DTR individually, we found that local correlations are mostly lower than the European mean and that they decrease rapidly in seasons and latitudes with low incident angles and at high alpine altitude. The highest correlation on local and seasonal scales seems to be connected with the variability of the large-scale circulation in Europe. The output of 11 simulations of current generation regional climate models over Europe confirms the strong relationship between SSR and DTR. The seasonal dependence of the relationship is well reproduced, but the absolute values of DTR and SSR are mostly too low. The pattern of decrease (dimming) and increase (brightening) in SSR and DTR was not reproduced in the modeled time series. There is still strong evidence from both models and observations that DTR is a reliable representative of SSR.Citation: Makowski, K., E. B. Jaeger, M. Chiacchio, M. Wild, T. Ewen, and A. Ohmura (2009), On the relationship between diurnal temperature range and surface solar radiation in Europe,

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Section: Statistical Trend Analysis Of European Mean Anomaliessupporting

confidence: 74%

On the relationship between diurnal temperature range and surface solar radiation in Europe

et al. 2009

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“…Over this period, satellites have measured a decrease in the outgoing (reflected) solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2007], implying greater absorption of solar energy by the Earth system. This decrease in topof-atmosphere reflected solar radiation is consistent with observed increases in the amount of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface [Pinker et al, 2005;Wild et al, 2005], a phenomenon sometimes known as "global brightening." Global brightening is a result of decreases in tropospheric aerosol loading and recovery from the Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruption (i.e., decreases in stratospheric aerosols), along with decreases in cloudiness related mainly to changes in El Niño frequency .…”

Section: The Importance Of Aerosolssupporting

confidence: 69%

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union Volume 89, Number 21, 20 May 2008

2008

EoS Transactions

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Mass., Constraints on melt-water fl ux through the West Greenland ice-sheet: Modeling of hydro-fracture drainage of supraglacial lakes.Sasha Peter Carter, University of Texas at Austin, Ice fl ow history, basal melt, and hydraulic connections in the Dome C Lake District headwaters over the last glacial cycle inferred from hydropotential, internal layers, and basal refl ectivity in airborne radar sounding data. Mineral and Rock Physics (MRP)Ludmila

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“…Analysis of long-term records of surface solar radiation, either in clear-sky and/or all-sky conditions, suggests significant trends during past decades (Wild et al, 2005;Pinker et al, 2005;Padma Kumari and Goswami, 2010;Soni et al, 2011). The results suggest that such trends result from decadal changes of aerosols, particularly anthropogenic, and an interplay of aerosol direct and indirect effects (Wild et al, 2005;Padma Kumari and Goswami, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A long-term study of aerosol modulation of atmospheric and surface solar heating over Pune, India

Kumar¹,

Devara

2012

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

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A B S T R A C T Implications of aerosol characteristics, observed during a five-year (2004Á2009) period over Pune (a tropical urban location), to short-wave radiation budget are reported. A discrete ordinate radiative transfer (DISORT) model with a code, namely, Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART), has been used to carry out the radiative transfer computations. The validity of the method is demonstrated using independent ground-based remote sensing observations. Uncertainties in the estimates are also quantified. Clear-sky forcing reveals the points that include (1) Large negative bottom-of-the-atmosphere (BOA) forcing (more than (30 Wm (2 ) in all the months with peaks during October, December and March when the surface forcing exceeds Â (40 Wm (2 , and (2) Surface forcing values are higher for pre-monsoon months, while they are comparable for winter and post-monsoon months. The top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) forcing is found to be negative during all the seasons. Large differences between TOA and BOA forcing during pre-monsoon, winter and post-monsoon indicate large absorption of radiant energy ( Â30 Wm (2 ) within the atmosphere during these seasons, thus increasing atmospheric heating by Â1 K/d. These values imply that aerosols have considerable impact on the atmosphereÁsurface system by causing substantial warming/cooling at the atmosphere/surface. This persistent trend in strong atmospheric absorption is likely to alter atmospheric thermodynamic conditions and thus affects circulation considerably.

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Do Satellites Detect Trends in Surface Solar Radiation?

Cited by 426 publications

References 23 publications

On the relationship between diurnal temperature range and surface solar radiation in Europe

On the relationship between diurnal temperature range and surface solar radiation in Europe

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union Volume 89, Number 21, 20 May 2008

A long-term study of aerosol modulation of atmospheric and surface solar heating over Pune, India

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