Assessment of radiative heating errors in Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array marine air temperature measurements. (6th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: De Rovere, Francesco; Zanchettin, Davide; McPhaden, Michael J; Rubino, Angelo
• Is Part Of: Environmental research letters. Volume 17:Number 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01-06
• Subjects: radiative heating error -- marine air temperature measurements -- Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Array -- Global Tropical Moored Buoy Array; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Human ecology -- Research -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; 333.7
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac42fc
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1748-9326

Abstract

Abstract: We assess the radiative heating error affecting marine air temperature (MAT) measurements in the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array. The error in historical observations is found to be ubiquitous across the array, spatially variable and approximately stationary in time. The error induces spurious warming during daytime hours, but does not affect night-time temperatures. The range encompassing the real, unknown daily- and monthly-mean values is determined using daytime and night-time mean temperatures as upper and lower limits. The uncertainty in MAT is less than or equal to 0.5 °C and 0.2 °C for 95% of daily and monthly estimates, respectively. Uncertainties impact surface turbulent heat flux estimates, with potentially significant influences on the quantification of coupled ocean-atmosphere processes.