Using GERB with surface sites to obtain the atmospheric radiative

divergence

Tony SlingoEnvironmental Systems Science Centre

University of Reading, UK

GIST 22, RMIB, 8-10 November 2004

Atmospheric radiative divergence

• GERB provides the first measurements of the top of atmosphere radiation budget with the excellent temporal sampling required to make progress in estimating the radiative divergence across the atmosphere

• SINERGEE provides a framework for comparing GERB data with models

• We need complementary data at the surface• Such data can be obtained from the ARM sites, as well as

from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN)• Peter Henderson (PhD student) has been comparing

surface radiative fluxes from the Met Office NWP model with data from ARM

Comparisons with data from ARM:Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program.

Results from Peter Henderson

Barrow, NSA SGP

Manus island, TWP

Darwin

SGP

April 2003

Darwin

May 2003

Unfortunately,there are no ARM sites visible from GERB

However, there is an exciting new development;The ARM Mobile Facility (AMF)

There are also some BSRN sites visible from GERB

Combining ARM and SINERGEE• RADAGAST

– Radiative Atmospheric Divergence using ARM Mobile Facility, GERB data and AMMA stations

– A proposal led by Tony Slingo to deploy the new ARM Mobile Facility in Niamey, Niger to coordinate with AMMA 2006

– Approved in October by the ARM project– This will link with SINERGEE to enable the first well-sampled

estimates of the divergence of radiation across the atmosphere, for comparison with models

• In support of this, a new grant application: COMRAD– Combining Observations and Models to study the Radiative

Atmospheric Divergence– Current grant round (will hear in December)

AMMA: 2006