Global Radiative Flux Profile Data Set: Revised and Extended. Issue 5 (2nd March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Yuanchong; Rossow, William B.
• Is Part Of: Journal of geophysical research. Volume 128:Issue 5(2023)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2023-03-02
• Subjects: ISCCP‐FH -- radiative flux profile -- radiative flux trends -- ISCCP‐H -- cloud trends -- cloud feedback; Atmospheric physics -- Periodicals; Geophysics -- Periodicals; 551.5
• DOI: 10.1029/2022JD037340
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2169-897X

Abstract

Abstract: The third generation of the radiative flux profile data product, called ISCCP‐FH, is described. The revisions over the previous generation (called ISCCP‐FD) include improvements in the radiative model representation of gaseous and aerosol effects, as well as a refined statistical model of cloud vertical layer variations with cloud types, and increased spatial resolution. The new product benefits from the changes in the new H‐version of the ISCCP cloud products (called ISCCP‐H): higher spatial resolution, revised radiance calibration and treatment of ice clouds, treatment of aerosol effects, and revision of all the ancillary atmosphere and surface property products. The ISCCP‐FH product is evaluated against more direct measurements from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System and the Baseline Surface Radiation Network products, showing some small, overall reductions in average flux uncertainties; but the main results are similar to ISCCP‐FD: the ISCCP‐FH uncertainties remain ≲10 Wm −2 at the top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) and ≲15 Wm −2 at surface for monthly, regional averages. The long‐term variations of TOA, surface and in‐atmosphere net fluxes are documented and the possible transient cloud feedback implications of a long‐term change of clouds are investigated. The cloud and flux variations from 1998 to 2012 suggest a positive cloud‐radiative feedback on the oceanic circulation and a negative feedback on the atmospheric circulation. This example demonstrates that the ISCCP‐FH product can provide useful diagnostic information about weather‐to‐interannual scale variations of radiation induced by changes in cloudiness as well as atmospheric and surface properties. Plain Language Summary: The article describes the updated version of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) radiative profile flux product, ISCCP‐FH. This version has several important improvements over its previous two versions in its radiation model and input data sets of clouds, aerosol and other atmospheric and surface physical properties as well as ancillary data sets. Its spatial resolution is increased to 110 km. It now has uncertainties ≲10 Wm −2 at the top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) and ≲15 Wm −2 at surface for monthly, regional averages based on validations against the direct observations at TOA and surface, slightly improved over the previous versions. We also describe long‐term variations of the radiative energy intensity based on the product and give an example to study cloud‐radiation feedback using this product. We expect the new product to be used in climate studies like its previous versions. Key Points: The radiative flux profile data product (called ISCCP‐FH) is described. It benefits from the new ISCCP cloud products (called ISCCP‐H) The product is evaluated against the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System and the Baseline Surface Radiation Network measurements The long‐term variations of top‐of‐atmosphere, surface and in‐atmosphere net fluxes are documented and a possible cloud feedback is investigated