Reflectivities of uniform and broken layered clouds

Abstract

Differences between the reflectivities of uniform layered clouds and of broken clouds taken from the same layers of the Californian coast were investigated using 1 km data obtained by the AVHRRs on the NOAA-9 and -10 satellites during the FIRE Marine Stratocumulus Intensive Field Observations (June 29 - July 18, 1987). The reflectivities are compared at 0.63 micron, where cloud droplets are nonabsorbing, and at 3.7 micron, where the cloud droplets absorb and the single-scattering albedo is about 0.9. It was found that, at visible wavelengths, the reflectivities of broken clouds were only 80-85 percent of those of the same clouds where they formed regions of extensive uniform layers. The radiation not reflected was transmitted to the surface. The results suggest that the presatellite estimates of the planetary albedo may be too large because they failed to allow for the effects of cloud boundaries on cloud reflectivities.