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Results for “Earth Radiation Budget”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 199 records · Page 11
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NASA NTRS1989

Earth radiation budget and cloudiness simulations with a general circulation model

A GCM with new parameterizations of solar and terrestrial radiation, parameterized cloud optical properties, and a simple representation of the cloud liquid water feedback is used with several observational data sets to analyze the effects of cloudiness on the earth's radiation budget. The January and July results from the model are in reasonable agreement with data from Nimbus-7. It is found that the simulated cloudiness overpredicts subtropical and midlatitude cloudiness. The simulated atmospheric cloud radiative forcing is examined. The clear-sky radiation fields obtained by two methods of Cess and Potter (1987) are compared. Also, a numerical experiment was performed to determine the effects of the water vapor continuum on the model results.

HARSHVARDHAN↗
NASA NTRS1976

Mission analysis to define satellite orbits for earth radiation budget measurements

Information is presented concerning the number of satellites, the orbit altitude, and the inclinations which will provide the spatial and temporal earth coverage required for accurate radiation measurements on regional, zonal, and global scales. Measurement considerations are discussed and an analysis is conducted regarding the selection of suitable orbit parameters. Attention is also given to the results of a simulation model study for the determination of the radiation which can be measured by satellite sensors in different orbits.

Harrison, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Characteristics of the earth's radiation budget derived from the first year of data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

The first year of broadband Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) data is analyzed for top-of-the-atmosphere regional variations of outgoing longwave (LW) flux and planetary albedo for total scene as well as clear-sky conditions. The annual variation of radiative parameters is examined for February 1985 through January 1986 for selected regions, latitude zones, and the entire globe. Results show significant seasonal variations for both LW fluxes and albedo. A broad longwave flux maximum (with a relative minimum corresponding to the intertropical convergence zone in the middle) covers the tropics and the subtropics with its center moving about 20 deg in latitude between seasonal extremes. Minimum albedo (about 20 percent) occurs within 15 deg of the equator. In the tropics and midlatitudes, there is a tendency toward higher albedos during the summer. Larger albedos at the higher latitudes are caused by solar zenith angle effects and by increased snow and ice cover. Net warming occurs between 35 deg N and 35 deg S latitude near the equinoxes and in a 90-deg-wide latitude band at the solstices centered around 35 deg latitude in the summer hemisphere. This energy surplus at lower latitudes coupled with an energy deficit in the poleward regions is the primary driver of atmospheric circulations. For the year, the global net radiation is nearly in balance.

Gibson, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The effect of directional radiation models on the interpretation of earth radiation budget measurements

A parameter estimation technique is presented to estimate the radiative flux density distribution over the earth from a set of radiometer measurements at satellite altitude. The technique analyzes measurements from a wide field of view, horizon to horizon, nadir pointing sensor with a mathematical technique to derive the radiative flux density estimates at the top of the atmosphere for resolution elements smaller than the sensor field of view. A computer simulation of the data analysis technique is presented for both earth-emitted and reflected radiation. The errors resulting from the assumed directional radiation model, spatial model and random measurement error have little effect on the global mean radiation. Zonal estimates were found to be more sensitive to the spatial model than to the directional radiation model. Results from analyzing medium field of view measurements showed a much greater sensitivity to the directional radiation model even on a global scale.

Green, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Feasibility of modifying the high resolution infrared radiation sounder (HIRS/2) for measuring spectral components of Earth radiation budget

The concept of adding four spectral channels to the 20 channel HIRS/2 instrument for the purpose of determining the origin and profile of radiant existence from the Earth's atmosphere is considered. Methods of addition of three channels at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.6 micron m to the present 0.7 micron m visible channel and an 18-25 micron m channel to the present 19 channels spaced from 3.7 micron m to 15 micron m are addressed. Optical components and physical positions were found that permit inclusion of these added channels with negligible effect on the performance of the present 20 channels. Data format changes permit inclusion of the ERB data in the 288 bits allocated to HIRS for each scan element. A lamp and collimating optic assembly may replace one of the on board radiometric black bodies to provide a reference source for the albedo channels. Some increase in instrument dimensions, weight and power will be required to accommodate the modifications.

Koenig, E. W.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Evaluation and Improvement of Earth Radiation Budget Data Sets

The tasks performed during this grant are as follows: (1) Advanced scan patterns for enhanced spatial and angular sampling of ground targets; (2) Inter-calibration of polar orbiter in low Earth orbits (LEO) and geostationary (GEO) broadband radiance measurements; (3) Synergism between CERES on TRMM and Terra; (4) Improved surface solar irradiance measurements; (5) SW flux observations from Ultra Long Duration Balloons at 35 km altitude; (6) Nighttime cloud property retrieval algorithm; (7) Retrievals of overlapped and mixed-phase clouds.

Haeffelin, Martial P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

A simulation study of earth radiation budget data interpretation

The paper describes a simulation of a filtering analysis which yields radiation distributions, measured by a wide-field-of-view radiometer on board an earth satellite, on a scale smaller than the field of view of the instrument. Mathematical models are developed to represent an orbiting wide-field-of-view radiometer to provide simulated measurement data. The simulated measurements are analyzed by a data inversion technique to obtain estimates of the radiation heat fluxes at the top of the atmosphere. By comparing the estimated field to a real radiation field, the effects of directional model errors and sampling strategies are revealed.

Smith, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Analyses of earth radiation budget data from unrestricted broadband radiometers on the ESSA 7 satellite

Six months of data from the wide-field-of-view low resolution infrared radiometers on the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) 7 satellite were analyzed. Earth emitted and earth reflected irradiances were computed at satellite altitude using data from a new in-flight calibration technique. Flux densitites and albedos were computed for the top of the earth's atmosphere. Monthly averages of these quantities over 100 latitude zones, each hemisphere, and the globe are presented for each month analyzed, and global distributions are presented for typical months. Emitted flux densities are generally lower and albedos higher than those of previous studies. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the ESSA 7 satellite was in a 3 p.m. Sun-synchronous orbit and some of the comparison data were obtained from satellites in 12 noon sun-synchronous orbits. The ESSA 7 detectors seem to smooth out spatial flux density variations more than scanning radiometers or wide-field-of-view fixed-plate detectors. Significant longitudinal and latitudinal variations of emitted flux density and albedo were identified in the tropics in a zone extending about + or - 25 deg in latitude.

Weaver, W. L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Measurements of the earth radiation budget from satellites during the first GARP global experiment

Radiation budget data (which will aid in climate model development) and solar constant measurements (both to be used for the study of long term climate change and interannual seasonal weather variability) are presented, obtained during Nimbus-6 and Nimbus-7 satellite flights, using wide-field-of-view, scanner, and black cavity detectors. Data on the solar constant, described as a function of the date of measurement, are given. The unweighed mean amounts to 1377 + or - 20 per sq Wm, with a standard deviation of 8 per sq Wm. The new solar data are combined with earlier measurements, and it is suggested that the total absolute energy output of the sun is a minimum at 'solar maximum' and vice versa. Attention is given to the measurements of the net radiation budget, the planetary albedo, and the infrared radiant exitance. The annual and semiannual cycles of normal variability explain most of the variance of energy exchange between the earth and space. Examination of separate ocean and atmospheric energy budgets implies a net continent-ocean region energy exchange.

Vonder Haar, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Consistency of Earth Radiation Budget Experiment bidirectional models and the observed anisotropy of reflected sunlight

The anisotropy of the radiance field estimated from bidirectional models derived from Nimbus 7 ERB scanner data is compared with the anisotropy observed with the ERB Experiment (ERBE) scanner aboard the ERB satellite. The results of averaging over groups of 40 ERBE scanner scan lines for a period of a month revealed significant differences between the modeled and the observed anisotropy for given scene types and the sun-earth-satellite viewing geometries. By comparing the radiative fluxes derived using the observed anisotropy with those derived assuming isotropic reflection, it is concluded that a reasonable estimate for the maximum error due to the use of incorrect bidirectional models is a bias of about 4 percent for a typical 2.5 deg latitude-longitude monthly mean, and an rms error of 15 percent.

Baldwin, Daniel G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An information theory approach for evaluating earth radiation budget (ERB) measurements - Nonuniform sampling of diurnal longwave flux variations

Satellite measurements are subject to a wide range of uncertainties due to their temporal, spatial, and directional sampling characteristics. An information-theory approach is suggested to examine the nonuniform temporal sampling of ERB measurements. The information (i.e., its entropy or uncertainty) before and after the measurements is determined, and information gain (IG) is defined as a reduction in the uncertainties involved. A stochastic model for the diurnal outgoing flux variations that affect the ERB is developed. Using Gaussian distributions for the a priori and measured radiant exitance fields, the IG is obtained by computing the a posteriori covariance. The IG for the monthly outgoing flux measurements is examined for different orbital parameters and orbital tracks, using the Earth Observing System orbital parameters as specific examples. Variations in IG due to changes in the orbit's inclination angle and the initial ascending node local time are investigated.

Halyo, Nesim↗
NASA NTRS1999

Investigation of Next-Generation Earth Radiation Budget Radiometry

The current effort addresses two issues important to the research conducted by the Thermal Radiation Group at Virginia Tech. The first research topic involves the development of a method which can properly model the diffraction of radiation as it enters an instrument aperture. The second topic involves the study of a potential next-generation space-borne radiometric instrument concept. Presented are multiple modeling efforts to describe the diffraction of monochromatic radiant energy passing through an aperture for use in the Monte-Carlo ray-trace environment. Described in detail is a deterministic model based upon Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and the particle theory of light. This method is applicable to either Fraunhofer or Fresnel diffraction situations, but is incapable of predicting the secondary fringes in a diffraction pattern. Also presented is a second diffraction model, based on the Huygens-Fresnel principle with a correcting obliquity factor. This model is useful for predicting Fraunhofer diffraction, and can predict the secondary fringes because it keeps track of phase. NASA is planning for the next-generation of instruments to follow CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System), an instrument which measures components of the Earth's radiant energy budget in three spectral bands. A potential next-generation concept involves modification of the current CERES instrument to measure in a larger number of wavelength bands. This increased spectral partitioning would be achieved by the addition of filters and detectors to the current CERES geometry. The capacity of the CERES telescope to serve for this purpose is addressed in this thesis.

Coffey, Katherine L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Large-scale reflection and absorption of solar radiation by clouds as influencing earth radiation budgets - New aircraft measurements.

Discussion of the first results of extensive recent aircraft measurements, in the short wavelengths, of the reflection and absorption properties of clouds and their impact on radiation budget studies. From the data obtained, the albedo of typical cloud types was determined integrally and spectrally. Some preliminary results are also offered for short-wave absorption and the apparent transmission of clouds. The effect of the atmospheric pathlength between sensor and target, exhibited through molecular scattering and aerosol scattering and absorption, is included in the data analysis. Results are also presented on vertical (short-wave) radiative flux profiles, within specific wavelength intervals, from near sea level to altitudes of about 40,000 ft over relatively short time intervals.

Drummond, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Zonal average earth radiation budget measurements from satellites for climate studies

Data from 29 months of satellite radiation budget measurements, taken intermittently over the period 1964 through 1971, are composited into mean month, season and annual zonally averaged meridional profiles. Individual months, which comprise the 29 month set, were selected as representing the best available total flux data for compositing into large scale statistics for climate studies. A discussion of spatial resolution of the measurements along with an error analysis, including both the uncertainty and standard error of the mean, are presented.

Ellis, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Sampling analysis for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite System mission based on orbital coverage and cloud variability

The reported study represents an extension of an investigation by Harrison et al. (1976). Based on the results of sampling studies, two 98 deg inclined orbits coupled with a 56 deg inclination orbit appear to satisfy the science requirements on both regional and zonal scales. The NOAA sun-synchronous satellites in the TIROS-N series could adequately cover the high latitudes and a satellite having an inclination of 56 deg could provide sampling in the mid and low latitude areas where variations in radiation energetics are most dynamic. Attention is given to studies of time and space coverage, zonal evaluations, a regional analysis, and statistics describing the regional variations of cloud cover. A table is presented with data concerning the uncertainty of monthly mean reflected irradiance due to cloud variability for selected northern hemisphere regions.

Harrison, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A robust pseudo-inverse spectral filter applied to the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) scanning channels

Computer simulations of a least squares estimator operating on the ERBE scanning channels are discussed. The estimator is designed to minimize the errors produced by nonideal spectral response to spectrally varying and uncertain radiant input. The three ERBE scanning channels cover a shortwave band a longwave band and a ""total'' band from which the pseudo inverse spectral filter estimates the radiance components in the shortwave band and a longwave band. The radiance estimator draws on instantaneous field of view (IFOV) scene type information supplied by another algorithm of the ERBE software, and on a priori probabilistic models of the responses of the scanning channels to the IFOV scene types for given Sun scene spacecraft geometry. It is found that the pseudoinverse spectral filter is stable, tolerant of errors in scene identification and in channel response modeling, and, in the absence of such errors, yields minimum variance and essentially unbiased radiance estimates.

Avis, L. M.↗