The interannual variability of the earth's radiation budget components as observed from space

Based on the 1974–78 NOAA data, characteristic features of the variability of the Earth's radiation budget and its components over the area of the Northern Atlantic have been analyzed. Calculations of the mean square deviation for the ERB and its components have let to the conclusions that anomalous regions of maximum variability may be considered as energy-active zones.     

Prediction and evaluation of solar particle events based on precursor information.

Protection from the radiation effects of solar particle events for deep space mission crews requires a warning system to observe solar flares and predict subsequent charged particle fluxes. Such a system relates precursor information observed in each flare to the intensity, delay, and duration of the subsequent Solar Particle Event (SPE) at other locations in the solar system. A warning system of this type is now in operation at the NOAA Space Environment Services Center in Boulder, Colorado for support of space missions. It has been used to predict flare particle fluxes at the earth for flares of Solar Cycle 22. The flare parameters used and the effectiveness of the current warning system, based on Solar Cycle 22 experience, are presented, with an examination of the shortcomings. Needed improvements to the system include more complete observations of solar activity, especially information on the occurrences of solar mass ejections; and consideration of the effects of propagation conditions in the solar corona and interplanetary medium. Requirements for solar observations and forecasting systems on board the spacecraft are discussed.     

Observing the earth radiation budget from satellites: Past,present, and a look to the future

Satellite measurements of the radiative exchange between the planet Earth and space have been the objective of many experiments since the beginning of the space age in the late 1950's. The on-going mission of the Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) experiments has been and will be to consider flight hardware, data handling and scientific analysis methods in a single design strategy. Research and development on observational data has produced an analysis model of errors associated with ERB measurement systems on polar satellites. Results show that the variability of reflected solar radiation from changing meteorology dominates measurement uncertainties. As an application, model calculations demonstrate that measurement requirements for the verification of climate models may be satisfied with observations from one polar satellite, provided we have information on diurnal variations of the radiation budget from the ERBE mission.     

Improvements in broadband planetary albedo estimates from narrowband NOAA satellite observations

New and current algorithms for estimating the broadband planetary albedo from NOAA satellite narrowband observations are testes by applying them to retrospective NOAA-9 AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution) data of 2 July 1985. For comparison, broadband SW fluxes taken by the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) instrument, also on NOAA-9 are used as reference values. In contrast to the current scene-independent model, the new algorithms are all scene-dependent, but differ in the way they are classified by surface, cloud amount and albedo indices. The current operational model produces a global bias of magnitude 5 W/m² and a strong latitudinal dependence in error. The scene-dependent algorithms yield global biases of less than ±3 W/m² and have little latitudinal dependence over most of the globe.     

低轨道中等能量电子对地磁扰动的响应

低轨道高度上能量电子通量变化与地磁扰动程度密切相关.利用我国资源2号(ZY-2)03星空间环境监测分系统在轨工作期间所获得的能量电子探测数据,以及美国NOAA-15,NOAA-16,NOAA-17三颗卫星中等能量电子探测器自1998年以来积累的太阳同步轨道中等能量电子探测数据,结合地磁活动观测数据,对低轨道高度上中等能量电子对地磁扰动的响应特性进行了统计分析.结果表明,该区域的中等能量电子通量在磁暴、磁层亚暴期间有显著增强,增幅大小与地磁活动程度呈正相关关系,强磁暴期间增幅可达一个数量级左右,在响应时间上存在电子通量变化滞后于磁扰的时间特性.      

CM-SAF surface radiation budget: First results with AVHRR data

In the phase of redefinition of the EUMETSAT ground segment seven so called Satellite Application Facilities (SAF) each of them serving dedicated user groups have been established in Europe. The SAF on climate monitoring (CM-SAF) will deliver a comprehensive set of climate variables, including from different cloud products, radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere, surface radiation budget and tropospheric humidity. A consistent dataset of cloud and radiation products in a high spatial resolution on a uniform grid is derived. The CM-SAF is a joint project of the German Meteorological Service, EUMETSAT and five other European Meteorological Services. It is dedicated to produce climate datasets using data from instruments onboard of METEOSAT Second Generation and polar orbiting satellites NOAA and METOP. After the development phase, the CM-SAF has started its initial operational phase in the end of 2003. In this context, the algorithms have been implemented at the processing centres and the processing of satellite data from the polar orbiting satellites of NOAA has commenced. This paper gives an overview of the first products of surface radiative fluxes and their validation with selected surface sites.     

Hemispheric differences in the earth radiation budget derived from Nimbus-7 related to climate studies

Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) data from Nimbus-7 over the period November 1978 – June 1980 has consistently shown strong hemispheric differences when analyzed over different temporal and spatial scales. Hemispheric variations in time latitude cross sections of net and emitted radiation were found to be caused by changes in the Earth-Sun distance and continental effects.Maps of annual range for the entire Earth calculated from monthly averages showed areas of high and low variability of the different ERB parameters. The ERB of these regional areas were examined and most of the variability was found to lay in the large amplitude of the annual solar cycle. Variations in the global annual cycle of albedo /1/ are studied with respect to differences in latitudinal averaged albedo. The anomaly in the annual cycle of global averaged albedo was found to be caused by tropical albedo changes.     

The sensitivity of the earth's radiation budget to changes in cloudiness

Cloudiness modulates the radiation budget at the top of the Earth-atmosphere system. For radiation balance studies, for climate diagnostic studies, and for climate modeling studies, it is important to know the sensitivity of both the outgoing longwave radiation and the net (absorbed solar minus outgoing longwave) radiation of the system to changes in cloudiness on a global basis. Based on a 45 month series of NOAA satellite scanning radiometer observations, estimates of the global distribution of these sensitivity parameters are obtained.     

Some peculiarities of longitudinal distribution of proton fluxes at high latitudes

Dynamical features of proton fluxes at high and middle latitudes were studied based on data measured by Sun-synchronous low-altitude (800 km height) polar-orbiting three NOAA series satellites: POES 15, 16, and 17 during the geomagnetic storm on January, 21–22, 2005. Data from three satellites that passed the Northern hemisphere along different MLTs allow reconstructing the longitudinal distribution of the proton fluxes. Measurements of protons with energies of 30–80 keV and 80–240 keV (the ring current energy range) by 0- and 90-detectors were used to evaluate and compare the longitudinal asymmetry of proton flux distribution measured in the regions equatorward and poleward of the isotropic boundary. It was found that during all the phases of the geomagnetic storm distribution of the maximum flux of precipitating protons (0-detector data) is sufficiently asymmetric. The maximal flux position along MLT is moving from pre-midnight sector in quiet time to post-midnight one before and during SSC and moving back during recovery phase. The longitudinal distribution of precipitation maxima demonstrates the local increase in afternoon sector (approximately at 13:30 MLT) and decrease in the dusk one during SSC. These features are evident consequence of the magnetosphere compression. To identify the origin of the particles, the locations of maximum fluxes have been projected to the magnetosphere. It was determined that during geomagnetic storm main and recovery phases maximum fluxes were measured at latitudes poleward of the isotropic boundary. To evaluate the trapped particle flux asymmetry, the particle fluences (90-detector data) were calculated along the satellite orbit from L = 2 to the isotropic boundary. The total fluences of trapped particles calculated along the satellite orbit show regular asymmetry between dusk and dawn during main and recovery phases. The maximal intensity of proton fluxes of both investigated populations located poleward and equatorward of the isotropic boundary is achieved during SSC. The total flux measured during crossing the anisotropic region can be considered as a proxy for ring current injection rate.     

An empirical model of the plasma environment around Mercury

Since the flyby observations by Mariner 10 in 1974 and 1975, Mercury has been one of the most interesting objects for space physics and planetary exploration. The MESSENGER and BepiColombo missions now plan to revisit this planet. In order to design plasma instruments for the BepiColombo mission, we have estimated electron and ion fluxes around Mercury with an empirical model, which has been developed for the Earth’s magnetotail. The solar wind data needed as input parameters are derived from Helios observations. The result shows that our predicted electron fluxes at aphelion agree well with the Mariner-10 data. It is also noted that ion instruments must cover a very wide dynamic range of proton fluxes. However, the applicability of the Earth’s magnetospheric model to Mercury is, in itself, an important issue for comparative magnetospheric studies.     

Spatial distribution of low energy gamma-rays associated with trapped particles

According to the data from the SONG instrument on board the low altitude high inclination CORONAS-I satellite, the fluxes of gamma rays with energies between 120 keV and 8.3 MeV are reviewed. The observations were made during the interval from May 1994 to early July 1994. Comparison with energetic electron fluxes obtained from AE-8 model is done, and thus the gamma-ray production mechanism is discussed. Available data are used to investigate the fine spatial structure in the Brazilian anomaly, as well as to analyse outer zone of bremsstrahlung electrons. To do this, the L-B maps are constructed and energy spectral characteristics of gamma-ray fluxes are investigated.     

Observational aspects of chromospheres and coronae in hot stars

With the advent of high resolution space observations with high sensitivity, stellar atmospheric research has entered a new phase of rapid development. All stars, and especially hot stars, are now recognized to have atmospheric characteristics that were not suspected before. All hot stars that we can observe with sufficient accuracy show chromospheres and coronae indicative of non-radiative energy fluxes as well as mass loss; these phenomena exhibit a very great range in magnitude among different stars and, in several cases, they are variable in time. These discoveries have pointed out the need for determining the atmospheric structures of hot stars and, ultimately, of determining the mechanisms responsible for the likely common origin of chromospheres-coronae and mass fluxes. This paper will focus on these observational aspects of hot stars -mainly Be stars and OB-normal stars will be treated here- and on the constraints that the observations impose upon models for these stellar atmospheres.     

Remote sensing of aerosol and radiation from geostationary satellites

The paper presents a high-level overview of current and future remote sensing of aerosol and shortwave radiation budget carried out at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from the US Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) series. The retrievals from the current GOES imagers are based on physical principles. Aerosol and radiation are estimated in separate processing from the comparison of satellite-observed reflectances derived from a single visible channel with those calculated from detailed radiative transfer. The radiative transfer calculation accounts for multiple scattering by molecules, aerosol and cloud and absorption by the major atmospheric gases. The retrievals are performed operationally every 30 min for aerosol and every hour for radiation for pixel sizes of 4-km (aerosol) and 15- to 50-km (radiation). Both retrievals estimate the surface reflectance as a byproduct from the time composite of clear visible reflectances assuming fixed values of the aerosol optical depth. With the launch of GOES-R NOAA will begin a new era of geostationary remote sensing. The Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) onboard GOES-R will offer capabilities for aerosol remote sensing similar to those currently provided by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flown on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites. The ABI aerosol algorithm currently under development uses a multi-channel approach to estimate the aerosol optical depth and aerosol model simultaneously, both over water and land. Its design is strongly inspired by the MODIS aerosol algorithm. The ABI shortwave radiation budget algorithm is based on the successful GOES Surface and Insolation Product system of NOAA and the NASA Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), Surface and Atmospheric Radiation Budget (SARB) algorithm. In all phases of the development, the algorithms are tested with proxy data generated from existing satellite observations and forward simulations. Final assessment of the performance will be made after the launch of GOES-R scheduled in 2012.     

暗条模型中暗条电流纵向分量的考虑

用暗条电流模型中矩形电流回路来研究NOAA131活动区暗条,结果得到暗条上升时弯曲成"U"形态,跟观测结果不符.因此本文推知:考虑暗条电流的纵向分量时一种椭圆形回路似乎比矩形回路更接近于暗条实际.      

RHESSI observations of the coronal component ofsolar flare hard X-ray sources

In flares that occur behind the limb, the intense chromospheric (foot-point) part of the hard X-ray source is occulted, thus permitting good observations of the coronal component. Between 15 and 18 April 2002, RHESSI observed a series of small (GOES Class C) flares produced by the active region NOAA 9905 as it rotated behind the west limb. A preliminary analysis of the observed hard X-ray sources in the 17–18 April 2002 flares has confirmed that flare-associated sources of gradual 12–25 keV X-ray emission can exist in the corona at heights up to 27000 km.     

Observations of the aurora in the far ultraviolet from “Cosmos-900”

The results from observations of auroral emissions within the wavelength band 115–135 nm are presented. The experiment was carried out on board the satellite “Cosmos-900”, launched on March 30, 1977, to an almost circular polar orbit. We assume that the precipitating fluxes of protons and electrons were the sources of excitation, according to the theory.     

星载半导体电子探测器关于辐射带电子探测的一些结果

本文给出了我国卫星上半导体电子探测器的一些探测结果。通过对数据的分析,得到了内辐射带中心区电子通量的典型值,大于0.5MeV和1.0MeV两个能档的全向通量分别为1.9×108和6.7×107ele./s·cm2.同时也给出了在典型轨道上电子通量随时间的变化剖面。此外,还得到了同步高度上述两个能档电子的全向通量分别为20.43×106和4.25×105ele./s·cm2.同时也给出了观测到的同步高度外辐射带电子的日变化。结果与国外观测资料基本相符。      

Characteristics of recent dust storms over the Indian region using real time multi-satellite observations from the direct broadcast receiving system at IMD

In this study, observations from microwave satellites, visible and infrared instruments have been analyzed to detect dust storm over north and north–west part of India during 18–23 March 2012. This study investigated the approach to utilize the multi satellite data of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on-board the Terra and Aqua satellite and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) on-board NOAA satellite to study the characteristics of dust storms from real time direct broadcast (DB) receiving system installed at three places of India Meteorological Department (IMD). The dust storm detection is based on the infrared brightness temperature (BT) difference between channels at 11 and 12 μm and polarized BT difference between two channels of 89 and 23.8 GHz. It is found that the significant differences between the BT of channel 89 and 23.8 can be used as a discriminator of identifying dust storm. The Total Ozone Mapping Spectroradiometer (TOMS) Aerosol Index (AI) and AMSU-A 23 GHz channel BT from NOAA satellite over the north and north-west part of India have also been analyzed. The result indicated the characteristic behavior between BT and AI during the different phases of the dust storm. Finally, the occurrence of dust outbreaks has also been validated with sky radiometer of IMD, which confirms the presence of a dust storm over the Indian region. Further, the findings of the study and its approaches apply to the other dust storm cases which occurred during the months of April and June 2012. The integrated approach suggested the potential to use high resolution data of microwave as well as thermal–infrared using multi-satellite observations from real time direct broadcast system for the detection of severe, moderate or weak dust storms very well. The approach is found to be promising for operational application.     

Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES), a review: Past,present and future

The Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (CERES) project’s objectives are to measure the reflected solar radiance (shortwave) and Earth-emitted (longwave) radiances and from these measurements to compute the shortwave and longwave radiation fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and the surface and radiation divergence within the atmosphere. The fluxes at TOA are to be retrieved to an accuracy of 2%. Improved bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) have been developed to compute the fluxes at TOA from the measured radiances with errors reduced from ERBE by a factor of two or more. Instruments aboard the Terra and Aqua spacecraft provide sampling at four local times. In order to further reduce temporal sampling errors, data are used from the geostationary meteorological satellites to account for changes of scenes between observations by the CERES radiometers.     

Validation of the stratospheric sounding unit

The Stratospheric Sounding Unit (SSU) is part of the TOVS (TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder) on NOAA operational meteorological satellites. SSU measurements can be validated by comparison with temperature measurements from colocated rocket sondes. Systematic differences are found which vary with rocket station and sonde and are a function of height. However, these measurements are not adequate to define the performance of individual SSUs to a precision which would allow the observations from different SSUs to be combined in the study of diurnal and semidiurnal tides and of long term trends in stratospheric temperature. Instead this is achieved by detailed radiometric and spectroscopic investigation of each individual SSU, both prior to launch and during its operational life. Using the techniques descirbed, it is demonstrated that measurements from different SSUs can be combined with a relative error of less than 0.2K in equivalent brightness temperature.