Published in

MDPI, Remote Sensing, 12(12), p. 1982, 2020

DOI: 10.3390/rs12121982

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A Long-Term Cloud Albedo Data Record Since 1980 from UV Satellite Sensors

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Postprint: archiving allowed
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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Black-sky cloud albedo (BCA) is derived from satellite UV 340 nm observations from NOAA and NASA satellites to infer long-term (1980–2018) shortwave cloud albedo variations induced by volcano eruptions, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, and decadal warming. While the UV cloud albedo has shown no long-term trend since 1980, there are statistically significant reductions over the North Atlantic and over the marine stratocumulus decks off the coast of California; increases in cloud albedo can be seen over Southeast Asia and over cloud decks off the coast of South America. The derived BCA assumes a C-1 water cloud model with varying cloud optical depths and a Cox–Munk surface BRDF over the ocean, using radiances calibrated over the East Antarctic Plateau and Greenland ice sheets during summer.