ESE_GE 152 April 7, 2009

Yuk Yung

yly@gps.caltech.edu

Chapter 1

Atmospheric Radiation

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Blackbody Energy Balance (1) Energy Balance (2) Thermal Structure Composition

Blackbody Radiation

B(T) = 2h3/c2[exp(h/kT) - 1]-1

Brightness Temperature

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Blackbody Energy Balance (1) Energy Balance (2) Thermal Structure Composition

Unit = Watts

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Blackbody Energy Balance (1) Energy Balance (2) Thermal Structure Composition

George Hadley (1685-1768), English lawyer and scientist.“I think the cause of the general Trade-winds have not been explained by any of those who have wrote on that subject” (1735)

The overturning Hadley cells are the main way the atmosphere transports energy polewards in low latitudes

68 100

Radiation TOA

Quite strong structure due to clouds in ASR and OLR that mostly cancels in the net; some other albedo effects (e.g., Sahara) and land-sea differences, but sun-Earth geometry explains most of pattern.

ASR

OLR

NET

Trenberth and Stepaniak, J. Clim. 2003

Kiehl and Trenberth 1997

Top-of-atmosphere

Surface

Top-of-atmosphere

Surface

Net DifferencesShortwave

Radiation TOA

Quite strong structure due to clouds in ASR and OLR that mostly cancels in the net; some other albedo effects (e.g., Sahara) and land-sea differences, but sun-Earth geometry explains most of pattern.

ASR

OLR

NET

Trenberth and Stepaniak, J. Clim. 2003

OutlineOutline

Blackbody Energy Balance (1) Energy Balance (2) Thermal Structure Composition

OutlineOutline

Blackbody Energy Balance (1) Energy Balance (2) Thermal Structure Composition

x: Machida et al. [1995] +: Bernard et al. [2006]

Thanks

• Elva Kuai,

•Fai Li,

•Trenberth, Barnet

• Goody + Yung Book