Longwave Surface Radiation and Climate

Lou Smith, Anne Wilber, David Kratz, Shashi Gupta and Paul Stackhouse

QUESTION: What is the Climatological Relation of the Surface Downward Longwave Flux to the Surface Upward Longwave Flux? We Use the Surface Radiation Budget Data Set of NASA Langley Research Center to Examine this Question.

Mean Annual Downward Longwave Radiation Flux (W m -2)

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Range of Annual Downward Longwave Radiation Flux (W m

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Mean Annual Upward Longwave Radiation Flux (W m -2)

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Range of Annual Upward Longwave Radiation Flux (W m -2)

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Mean Annual Net Longwave Radiation Flux (W m

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Range of Annual Net Longwave Radiation Flux (W m -2)

The Net Surface Longwave Flux is much smaller than the upward and downward components. The patterns of map of annual range appear to match those of the climate classifications

desert or arid MNLW >90 steppe/semi-arid 70< MNLW <90 polar land MNSW < 50 boreal 50 < MNSW < 100

temperate continental 100 < MNSW < 140

subtropical land MNSW >140 RNSW > 100 polar ocean MNSW<80

subtropical MNSW >150 RNSW > 140 tropical RNSW < 140 MNSW >170 convergence and stratus RNSW < 140 MNSW >170 MNSW <210

tropical wet MNSW >140 RNSW < 100 MNLW < 50 tropical wet & dry MNSW >140 RNSW < 100 MNLW > 50

temperate ocean 80< MNSW <150

We selected a number of sites representing many climate classes and plotted monthly means of Downward Longwave vs Upward Longwave Flux for each site.

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51.25N, 114W Winnipeg 33.75N, 82.5W Atlanta 21.25N, 157.16W Hawaii 6.25N, 124.6E Borneo 21.25N, 9.4E Sahara 31.25N, 109.76W Sonora 23.75S, 132.3E Australian 23.75N, 45E Saudi 1.25S, 56.25W Amazon

1.25S, 25E Congo 11.25N, 19.15E Sahel 61.25N, 122.6E Mongolia 56.25N, 74.25E Siberia 36.25N, 104W Kansas 31.25N, 109.76E Hunan 8.75S, 6.34W Atlantic 16.25N, 37.83W Atlantic 8.75S, 148.3W Pacific

11.25S, 85.53W Pacific 20.0S, 120.0W 30.0S, 120.0W 40.0S, 120.0W 60.0S, 120.0W 71.25N, 82.17W Baffin Isl 66.25N, 21.72E Sweden 76.25N, 37.06W Greenland 83.75N, 168.75W Arctic

Locations of Sites Studied

600 51.25N,114W Winnipeg 500 33.75N,82.5W Atlanta 61.25N,122.6E Mongolia 400 56.25N,74.25E W. Siberia 36.25N,104W Kansas 300 31.25N,109.76E Hunan

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200 300 400 500 Surface Upward LW Flux (W m -2)

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Downward Longwave Flux as Function of Upward Flux for Several Continental Locations

600 21.25N,9.4E Sahara 31.25N,109.76W Sonora 500 23.75S,132.3E Australia 23.75N,45E Saudi 400 1.25S,56.25W Amazon 1.25S, 25E 300 Congo

11.25N,19.15E Sahel

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Surface Upward LW Flux (W m

Downward Longwave Flux as Function of Upward Flux for Deserts, Tropical Rain Forests and Savanna

600 60.0S, 120.0W 500 40.0S, 120.0W 30.0S, 120.0W 400 20.0S, 120.0W 300

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Surface Upward LW Flux (W m -2)

Downward Longwave Flux as Function of Upward Flux over South Pacific for Several Latitudes

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71.25N,82.17W Baffin Isl 66.25N,21.72E Sweden 76.25N,37.06W Greenland

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83.75N,168.75W Arctic

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Downward Longwave Flux as Function of Upward Flux for High Latitudes

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8.75S, 6.34W Atlantic 16.25N, 37.83W Atlantic

500 8.75S, 148.3W Pacific 400 11.25S, 85.53W Pacific 21.25N, 157.16W Pacific 300

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Surface Upward LW Flux (W m-2)

Downward Longwave Flux as Function of Upward Flux over Tropical Oceans

500 Desert 400 Steppe Polar 300 Boreal Temperate Tropical Wet 200 Tropical Wet and Dry 100 Subtropical

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Surface Upward LW Flux (W m -2)

Annual Mean Downward Longwave Flux as Function of Mean Upward Flux Separated by Climate Type for Land

500 Polar 400 Temperate Subtropical 300 Tropical Convergence and Stratus

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Annual Mean Downward Longwave Flux as Function of Mean Upward Flux Separated by Climate Type for Ocean

The annual cycle of Downward vs Upward Longwave Flux at the surface is a characteristic of the climate class.

CONCLUSIONS: The relation between monthly mean downward and upward longwave surface fluxes of region is a characteristic of its climate classification. A plot of regional annual mean Downward Longwave Flux vs Upward Flux is partitioned into various climate classes. The annual range on monthly mean Net Surface Longwave Flux is a characteristic of the climate class.