Cloud Edge Properties Measured by the ARM Shortwave Spectrometer Over Ocean and Land

We use the spectrally invariant method to study the variability of cloud optical thickness (τ) and droplet effective radius (reff) in transition zones between the cloudy and clear‐sky columns observed by Shortwave Array Spectroradiometer‐Zenith at the Southern Great Plains Central Facility site (SGP C1) and during the Marine ARM GPCI Investigation of Clouds (MAGIC) field campaign. The spectrally invariant method approximates the spectra in the transition zone as a linear combination of definitely clear and definitely cloudy spectra. The slope and intercept of the linear relations characterize τ and reff in the transition region, respectively. The radiative transfer model simulations show that that (i) the slope of the visible band is positively correlated with τ, while (ii) the intercept of the near‐infrared band has a high negative correlation with reff. We have analyzed 22 cloud edge cases from the SGP and MAGIC and found that from cloud to clear in the transitions, (a) the slopes of the visible band decrease, indicating the decrease of τ toward cloud edges, and (b) the intercepts of the near‐infrared band show a much more significant increase at the SGP than from the MAGIC. The results from observed cases suggest that while τ decreases for all cases, the decrease in reff is much more significant for cloud over land at the SGP site compared to the ocean counterpart during the MAGIC campaign.

• Publication year

  2019

• Venue

  Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

• Publication date

  2019-08-08

• Fields of study

  Physics, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1029/2019JD030622
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Theoretical Analysis of the Entrainment–Mixing Process at Cloud Boundaries. Part I: Droplet Size Distributions and Humidity within the Interface Zone

  2018influential reference
• of Geophysical Research : Atmospheres Investigation of Turbulent Entrainment-Mixing Processes With a New Particle-Resolved Direct Numerical Simulation Model

  2018cited by this paper
• On Which Microphysical Time Scales to Use in Studies of Entrainment‐Mixing Mechanisms in Clouds

  2018cited by this paper
• Ceilometer Instrument Handbook

  2016cited by this paper
• Observation of the Spectrally Invariant Properties of Clouds in Cloudy-to-Clear Transition Zones During the MAGIC Field Campaign

  2016influential reference
• Marine boundary layer structure as observed by A-train satellites

  2016cited by this paper
• Theoretical study of mixing in liquid clouds – Part 1: Classical concepts

  2015cited by this paper
• Theoretical analysis of mixing in liquid clouds – Part 3: Inhomogeneousmixing

  2015cited by this paper
• Clouds, Precipitation, and Marine Boundary Layer Structure during the MAGIC Field Campaign

  2015cited by this paper
• Long-term measurements of submicrometer aerosol chemistry at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) using an Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM)

  2015cited by this paper
• Theoretical investigation of mixing in warm clouds – Part 2: Homogeneousmixing

  2015cited by this paper
• A new multispectral cloud retrieval method for ship‐based solar transmissivity measurements

  2014cited by this paper
• Exploring parameterization for turbulent entrainment‐mixing processes in clouds

  2013cited by this paper
• Cloud droplet size and liquid water path retrievals from zenith radiance measurements: examples from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program and the Aerosol Robotic Network

  2012cited by this paper
• Aerosol optical depth increase in partly cloudy conditions

  2012cited by this paper
• Spectrally Invariant Approximation within Atmospheric Radiative Transfer

  2011cited by this paper
• Analysis of co-located MODIS and CALIPSO observations near clouds

  2011cited by this paper
• Global CALIPSO Observations of Aerosol Changes Near Clouds

  2011cited by this paper
• Spectral invariant behavior of zenith radiance around cloud edges simulated by radiative transfer

  2010cited by this paper
• Separating real and apparent effects of cloud, humidity, and dynamics on aerosol optical thickness near cloud edges

  2010cited by this paper
• Spectral invariant behavior of zenith radiance around cloud edges observed by ARM SWS

  2009cited by this paper
• Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous Mixing in Cumulus Clouds: Dependence on Local Turbulence Structure

  2009cited by this paper
• Aerosol effects on the inter‐cloud region of a small cumulus cloud field

  2009cited by this paper
• MODIS observations of enhanced clear sky reflectance near clouds

  2009cited by this paper
• Case studies of aerosol remote sensing in the vicinity of clouds

  2009cited by this paper
• Maritime Aerosol Network as a component of Aerosol Robotic Network

  2009cited by this paper
• Aerosol and cloud interaction observed from high spectral resolution lidar data

  2008cited by this paper
• Correlation between cloud condensation nuclei concentration and aerosol optical thickness in remote and polluted regions

  2008cited by this paper
• Physical Interpretation of the Spectral Radiative Signature in the Transition Zone Between Cloud-Free and Cloudy Regions

  2008cited by this paper
• On the climate forcing consequences of the albedo continuum between cloudy and clear air

  2007cited by this paper
• On the twilight zone between clouds and aerosols

  2007influential reference
• Cloud Sky Cover versus Cloud Fraction: Whole-Sky Simulations and Observations

  2005cited by this paper
• An analysis of potential cloud artifacts in MODIS over ocean aerosol optical thickness products

  2005cited by this paper
• Total Sky Imager (TSI) Handbook

  2005cited by this paper
• Analysis of humidity halos around trade wind cumulus clouds

  2003cited by this paper
• SBDART: A Research and Teaching Software Tool for Plane-Parallel Radiative Transfer in the Earth's Atmosphere.

  1998influential reference
• AERONET-a federated instrument network and data archive for aerosol Characterization

  1998cited by this paper
• Influences of Isolated Cumulus Clouds on the Humidity of Their Surroundings

  1996cited by this paper
• Determination of cloud vertical structure from upper air observations and its effects on atmospheric circulation in a GCM

  1995cited by this paper
• A diffusive model of the turbulent mixing of dry and cloudy air

  1982cited by this paper
• The influence of entrainment on the evolution of cloud droplet spectra: I. A model of inhomogeneous mixing

  1980cited by this paper
• Models of the atmospheric aerosols and their optical properties

  1976cited by this paper

• Open-source sky image datasets for solar forecasting with deep learning: A comprehensive survey

  2024cites this paper
• Precipitable Water Vapor Variation in the Clear-Cloud Transition Zone From the ARM Shortwave Spectrometer

  2022cites this paper
• Open-Source Ground-based Sky Image Datasets for Very Short-term Solar Forecasting, Cloud Analysis and Modeling: A Comprehensive Survey

  2022cites this paper
• Analytical Investigation of the Role of Lateral Mixing in the Evolution of Nonprecipitating Cumulus. Part I: Developing Clouds

  2020cites this paper
• ARM Shortwave Spectral Radiometry Strategy Review Report

  2020cites this paper
• The Shortwave Spectral Radiometer for Atmospheric Science: Capabilities and Applications from the ARM User Facility

  2020cites this paper