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The Climate and Radiation Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center supports a key NASA mission, namely, to understand and protect our home planet. We seek a better understanding of Earth's climate on all time scales, from daily, seasonal and interannual variability through changes on geologic time scales. Our research focuses on atmospheric measurement, numerical modeling, and climate analysis. We investigate atmospheric radiation, both as a driver for climate change and as a tool for the remote sensing of Earth's atmosphere and surface. The Branch research program seeks to better understand how our planet reached its present state, and how it may respond to future drivers, both natural and anthropogenic.
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Assessing MODIS MBL cloud retrieval using Large-Eddy Simulation and 3D RT model
November 1, 2009 — Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) clouds are thought to be at the heart of cloud feedback uncertainties in climate models. How and to what extent man-made aerosols may affect the properties of MBL clouds is poorly understood. Measures to address these issues rely heavily on satellite-based remote sensing of the microphysical and optical properties of these clouds. The image shows recent research activities by branch scientists of assessing how the 3D cloud structure (i.e., cloud top entrainment, cloud particle size vertical variation and drizzle) and 3D radiative effects influence MODIS MBL cloud retrieval. MODIS (or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a key instrument aboard the Terra (EOS AM) and Aqua (EOS PM) satellites. The upper panel shows the cloud optical thickness simulated from a Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) model (Stevens et al. 1998 JAS). The middle panel shows the differences in the upwelling radiances at three wavelengths used for MODIS cloud retrieval at nadir between 3D (simulated using I3RC) and 1D (simulate using DISORT) radiative transfer simulations. The solar zenith and azimuth are 600 and 00 (x+ direction), respectively. In 3.7 mm simulation, only the solar reflectance component is considered (i.e., assuming the thermal component is “perfectly corrected” by the atmospheric correction step in MODIS retrieval). MODIS cloud effective radius retrievals based on simulated radiances are shown in the lower panel. Note that in the “shadowing region” (for example around 4km), the cloud appears darker in the 3D simulation than the 1D simulation due to the “shadowing effect”. As a result, the effective radius retrievals based on 3D radiance are larger in these regions. More on this Image
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GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign 2011-2013
November 6, 2009 — Charles Ichoku (NASA) and Charles Gatebe (UMBC/GEST) are attending a GLOBE meeting in Boulder Colorado to plan the implementation of the GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign 2011-2013. As the world’s largest international science education program, GLOBE is dedicated to advancing research in environmental education through use of our scientific protocols, educational activities, and collaboration within our worldwide network representing more than 100 countries and over 50 cooperating agencies worldwide. GLOBE’s goals are to: (a) involve more than 1,000,000 students in climate research; (b) empower students, teachers and community members to take action on climate-related environmental issues; and (c) create a compelling model for innovative student research and environmental science education for the 21st century. An article featuring Charles Gatebe recently appeared on a GLOBE Program News Brief.
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Robert F. Cahalan Elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society
October 5, 2009 — Robert F. Cahalan, Head of the Climate and Radiation Branch of NASA/Goddard’s Laboratory for Atmospheres in the Earth Sciences Division, was recently elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). He is being recognized for his pioneering theoretical and experimental advances in understanding the role of cloud structure in climate; his lead role as Project Scientist of the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE); and his leadership in three-dimensional atmospheric radiative transfer.
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Yuekei Yang
“Clouds observed by ICESat: Liked by some, disliked by others”
November 18, 2009 at 3:30 PM — November 18, 2009 to 4:30 PM
Wei Wang
December 1, 2009 at 11:00 AM
View the Calendar
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