Expected errors in satellite-derived estimates of the high latitude surface radiation budget

Abstract

An analysis of the spatial and temporal variations of the polar radiation budget will undoubtedly require the use of multi-spectral satellite data. How well we can estimate the radiation balance depends on how well we can estimate the physical and microphysical properties of the surface and atmosphere that directly affect it; e.g., surface temperature and albedo, cloud particle effective radius, cloud optical depth, cloud thickness and cloud height. However, the retrieval of cloud and surface parameters is particularly problematic at high-latitudes. The authors examine their current ability to retrieve these geophysical parameters using visible and thermal satellite data, in particular the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on-board the NOAA polar-orbiting satellites. Both empirical and theoretical methods used in their retrieval are briefly described and the expected accuracy for each of these parameters is quantified. On the basis of their uncertainty analysis they speculate on the utility of estimating radiative fluxes derived from satellite data for the study of climate change in polar regions.