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The effect of sea ice on the solar energy budget in the astmosphere-sea ice-ocean system: A model studyA coupled one-dimensional multilayer and multistream radiative transfer model has been developed and applied to the study of radiative interactions in the atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean system. The consistent solution of the radiative transfer equation in this coupled system automatically takes into account the refraction and reflection at the air-ice interface and allows flexibility in choice of stream numbers. The solar radiation spectrum (0.25 micron-4.0 micron) is divided into 24 spectral bands to account adequately for gaseous absorption in the atmosphere. The effects of ice property changes, including salinity and density variations, as well as of melt ponds and snow cover variations over the ice on the solar energy distribution in the entire system have been studied quantitatively. The results show that for bare ice it is the scattering, determined by air bubbles and brine pockets, in just a few centimeters of the top layer of ice that plays the most important role in the solar energy absorption and partitioning in the entire system. Ice thickness is important to the energy distribution only when the ice is thin, while the absorption in the atmosphere is not sensitive to ice thickness exceeds about 70 cm. The presence of clouds moderates all the sensitivities of the absorptive amounts in each layer to the variations in the ice properties and ice thickness. Comparisons with observational spectral albedo values for two simple ice types are also presented.
Document ID
19950049157
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Jin, Z.
(Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK United States)
Stamnes, Knut
(Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK United States)
Weeks, W. F.
(Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK United States)
Tsay, Si-Chee
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
December 15, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 99
Issue: C12
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Oceanography
Accession Number
95A80756
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: DE-0-91-574-A-Q1
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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