Edwin F. Harrison

Bio: Edwin F. Harrison is an academic researcher from Langley Research Center. The author has contributed to research in topics: Cloud cover & Earth's energy budget. The author has an hindex of 23, co-authored 65 publications receiving 6666 citations.

Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES): An Earth Observing System Experiment

Abstract: Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) is an investigation to examine the role of cloud/radiation feedback in the Earth's climate system. The CERES broadband scanning radiometers are an improved version of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) radiometers. The CERES instruments will fly on several National Aeronautics and Space Administration Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites starting in 1998 and extending over at least 15 years. The CERES science investigations will provide data to extend the ERBE climate record of top-of-atmosphere shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) radiative fluxes CERES will also combine simultaneous cloud property data derived using EOS narrowband imagers to provide a consistent set of cloud/radiation data, including SW and LW radiative fluxes at the surface and at several selected levels within the atmosphere. CERES data are expected to provide top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes with a factor of 2 to 3 less error than the ERBE data Estimates of radiative fluxes at the surface and especially within the atmosphere will be a much greater challenge but should also show significant improvements over current capabilities.

Cloud-radiative forcing and climate: results from the Earth radiation budget experiment.

Abstract: The spaceborne Earth Radiation Budget Experiment was begun in 1984 to obtain quantitative estimates of the global distributions of cloud-radiative forcing The magnitude of the observed net cloud forcing is about four times greater than the expected value of radiative forcing from a doubling of CO2; the shortwave and longwave components of cloud forcing are about 10 times as large as those for a CO2 doubling Small changes in the cloud-radiative forcing fields can therefore play a significant role as a climate-feedback mechanism

Seasonal variation of cloud radiative forcing derived from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment

Abstract: The impact of clouds on the earth's radiation balance is assessed in terms of longwave, shortwave, and net cloud forcing by using monthly averaged clear-sky and cloudy-sky flux data derived from the NASA Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE). Emphasis is placed on regional measurements, regional cloud forcing, zonal cloud forcing, and snow and ice contributions. It is shown that the global mean cooling varied from 14 to 21 W/sq m between April 1985 and January 1986; hemispherically, the longwave and shortwave cloud forcing nearly cancel each other in the winter hemisphere, while in the summer the negative shortwave cloud forcing is significantly lower than the longwave cloud forcing, producing a strong cooling. The ERBE data reveal that globally, hemispherically, and zonally, clouds have a significant effect on the radiative heating gradients.

Absorption of solar radiation by clouds: observations versus models.

Abstract: There has been a long history of unexplained anomalous absorption of solar radiation by clouds. Collocated satellite and surface measurements of solar radiation at five geographically diverse locations showed significant solar absorption by clouds, resulting in about 25 watts per square meter more global-mean absorption by the cloudy atmosphere than predicted by theoretical models. It has often been suggested that tropospheric aerosols could increase cloud absorption. But these aerosols are temporally and spatially heterogeneous, whereas the observed cloud absorption is remarkably invariant with respect to season and location. Although its physical cause is unknown, enhanced cloud absorption substantially alters our understanding of the atmosphere's energy budget.

Mission to planet Earth: Role of clouds and radiation in climate

Abstract: The role of clouds in modifying the earth's radiation balance is well recognized as a key uncertainty in predicting any potential future climate change. This statement is true whether the climate change of interest is caused by changing emissions of greenhouse gases and sulfates, deforestation, ozone depletion, volcanic eruptions, or changes in the solar constant. This paper presents an overview of the role of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite data in understanding the role of clouds in the global climate system. The paper gives a brief summary of the cloud/radiation problem, and discusses the critical observations needed to support further investigations. The planned EOS data products are summarized, including the critical advances over current satellite cloud and radiation budget data. Key advances include simultaneous observation of radiation budget and cloud properties, additional information on cloud particle size and phase, improved detection ...

The NCEP/NCAR 40-Year Reanalysis Project

Abstract: The NCEP and NCAR are cooperating in a project (denoted “reanalysis”) to produce a 40-year record of global analyses of atmospheric fields in support of the needs of the research and climate monitoring communities. This effort involves the recovery of land surface, ship, rawinsonde, pibal, aircraft, satellite, and other data; quality controlling and assimilating these data with a data assimilation system that is kept unchanged over the reanalysis period 1957–96. This eliminates perceived climate jumps associated with changes in the data assimilation system. The NCEP/NCAR 40-yr reanalysis uses a frozen state-of-the-art global data assimilation system and a database as complete as possible. The data assimilation and the model used are identical to the global system implemented operationally at the NCEP on 11 January 1995, except that the horizontal resolution is T62 (about 210 km). The database has been enhanced with many sources of observations not available in real time for operations, provided b...

Summarizing multiple aspects of model performance in a single diagram

Abstract: A diagram has been devised that can provide a concise statistical summary of how well patterns match each other in terms of their correlation, their root-mean-square difference, and the ratio of their variances. Although the form of this diagram is general, it is especially useful in evaluating complex models, such as those used to study geophysical phenomena. Examples are given showing that the diagram can be used to summarize the relative merits of a collection of different models or to track changes in performance of a model as it is modified. Methods are suggested for indicating on these diagrams the statistical significance of apparent differences and the degree to which observational uncertainty and unforced internal variability limit the expected agreement between model-simulated and observed behaviors. The geometric relationship between the statistics plotted on the diagram also provides some guidance for devising skill scores that appropriately weight among the various measures of pattern correspondence.

The Community Climate System Model Version 3 (CCSM3)

Abstract: The Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3) has recently been developed and released to the climate community. CCSM3 is a coupled climate model with components representing the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, and land surface connected by a flux coupler. CCSM3 is designed to produce realistic simulations over a wide range of spatial resolutions, enabling inexpensive simulations lasting several millennia or detailed studies of continental-scale dynamics, variability, and climate change. This paper will show results from the configuration used for climate-change simulations with a T85 grid for the atmosphere and land and a grid with approximately 1° resolution for the ocean and sea ice. The new system incorporates several significant improvements in the physical parameterizations. The enhancements in the model physics are designed to reduce or eliminate several systematic biases in the mean climate produced by previous editions of CCSM. These include new treatments of cloud processes, aerosol ...

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Sensor Package

Abstract: This note is intended to serve primarily as a reference guide to users wishing to make use of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission data. It covers each of the three primary rainfall instruments: the passive microwave radiometer, the precipitation radar, and the Visible and Infrared Radiometer System on board the spacecraft. Radiometric characteristics, scanning geometry, calibration procedures, and data products are described for each of these three sensors.