Harrison, Edwin F. — Page 3

NASA NTRS1988

Earth Radiation Budget Satellite extraterrestrial solar constant measurements - 1986-1987 increasing trend

From June 1986 through Nov 1987, the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) pyrheliometric measurements indicated that the solar constant was increasing approximately +0.02 percent per year. Earlier ERBS measurements indicated that the solar constant was declining approximately -0.03 percent per year during the 1984 through mid-1986 period. Since mid-1986 represents the beginning of solar cycle 22, it is believed that the reversal in the long-term solar constant trend may be linked to increased solar activity associated with the beginning of the 11-year sunspot cycle. The typical value of the solar constant was found to be 1365 Wm-2.

Lee, Robert B., III↗

NASA NTRS1987

Cloud cover over the equatorial eastern Pacific derived from July 1983 International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project data using a hybrid bispectral threshold method

A set of visible and IR data obtained with GOES from July 17-31, 1983 is analyzed using a modified version of the hybrid bispectral threshold method developed by Minnis and Harrison (1984). This methodology can be divided into a set of procedures or optional techniques to determine the proper contaminate clear-sky temperature or IR threshold. The various optional techniques are described; the options are: standard, low-temperature limit, high-reflectance limit, low-reflectance limit, coldest pixel and thermal adjustment limit, IR-only low-cloud temperature limit, IR clear-sky limit, and IR overcast limit. Variations in the cloud parameters and the characteristics and diurnal cycles of trade cumulus and stratocumulus clouds over the eastern equatorial Pacific are examined. It is noted that the new method produces substantial changes in about one third of the cloud amount retrieval; and low cloud retrievals are affected most by the new constraints.

Minnis, Patrick↗