Discrimination between Aerosol and Cloud Contributions to Global Solar Radiation Trends between 2003 and 2010 in North-Central Spain

  1. D. Mateos
  2. A.Sanchez-Lorenzo
  3. Antón, Manuel
  4. V. E. Cachorro
  5. J. Calbó
  6. Carlos Toledano Olmeda
Libro:
2nd Iberian Meeting on Aerosol Science and Technology: Proceedings Book RICTA 2014
  1. Jordi Grifoll (coord.)
  2. Joan Rosell-Llompart (coord.)

Editorial: Publicacions URV ; Universitat Rovira i Virgili

ISBN: 978-84-695-9978-5

Año de publicación: 2014

Páginas: 57-60

Congreso: Iberian Meeting on Aerosol Science and Technology (2. 2014. Tarragona)

Tipo: Aportación congreso

Resumen

Aerosols and clouds are the main factors involved in the determination of the energy balance of the planetary system. Surface solar radiation trends observed during the last decades have evidenced a progressive increase, i.e., a substantial reduction in the radiative effects at the surface of the cloud-aerosol system. However the separate contributions of aerosols and clouds to these trends are not well analyzed yet. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the radiative effects of three systems separately: cloud and aerosols (CARE), clouds (CRE), and aerosols (ARE). Specifically, the temporal trends are determined by using monthly measurements of global solar radiation at Valladolid (Spain) site together with simulations from a radiative transfer code. Surface solar irradiance in Valladolid has increased +1.4 W m-2 per year (period 2003-2010). CARE, CRE, and ARE trends have shown the following rates (with a significance level over 95%): +1.3, +0.8, and +0.4 W m-2 per year, respectively. Overall, clouds and aerosols have contributed around 2/3 and 1/3 to the solar radiation increase at the study site between 2003 and 2010, respectively. CERES-EBAF-Surface collection corroborates the SW radiation trend and the CRE estimations obatined at Valladolid site.