Satellite data has been used to correct the aerosol loading and land surface albedo in several AeroCom models, which has improved shortwave flux biases between models and observations.
Albedo
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Is Earth’s Albedo Symmetric Between the Hemispheres?
The two hemispheres feature the same planetary albedo despite a larger land fraction in the north, because storms over the southern ocean are cloudier than their northern counterparts.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mapping Ice Algal Blooms from Space
Satellite data reveal how colorful algae are melting the Greenland ice sheet.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Tailoring Aerosol Injections to Achieve Desired Climate Effects
Two-dimensional simulations of sulfate aerosol injections suggest that solar geoengineering projects can be customized to maximize solar reflection and help achieve potential climate objectives.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
On-the-Ground Measurements Overestimate Earth’s Albedo
Weather stations can be used to calibrate and validate albedo measurements from satellites, but they fail to account for variability across landscapes, overestimating how reflective our planet is.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Competing Climate Effects of Elevation and Albedo
Variations in surface reflectivity are as important as surface elevation changes in determining regional climate at nonpolar latitudes, according to a new modeling study.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Good Night Sunshine: Geoengineering Solutions to Climate Change?
In order to limit global warming to Paris Agreement goal levels, climate engineering should be considered as a viable solution.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Modeling the Effects of Clouds on Climate
New research investigates how mixed-phase cloud partitioning and cloud cover compensate each other in GCMs.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Aerosols May Play a Big Part in Atmospheric Absorption
A new study shows that aerosols have a strong impact on the reflectivity of the Earth's atmosphere, absorbing more solar radiation within the atmospheric layers than previously thought.
Posted inOpinions
What Darkens the Greenland Ice Sheet?
Limited observational data sets and incomplete surface energy balance models constrain understanding of the driving processes for Greenland's ice sheet.