Radiatively Important Parameters Best Estimate (RIPBE): An ARM Value-Added Product

摘要

In order to run a radiative transfer model to calculate radiances, fluxes, or heating rates, a large number of parameters describing the radiatively important components of the atmospheric state (water vapor, ozone, and temperature profiles; surface albedo; aerosol properties and cloud properties) are required. These parameters are all measured by Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility instruments and exist in various datastreams or value-added products (VAPs), but there are difficulties in combining them for use by a radiative transfer model: (1) input parameters all have different temporal and spatial scales, (2) multiple versions of input parameters may be available so that a decision on preferred datastream may be needed, (3) input parameters from a preferred datastream may not be available at all times, so methods for filling in gaps in a parameter with other datastreams, interpolation, or climatological data sets need to be developed, and (4) tracking of version and source information is desired. The Radiatively Important Parameters Best Estimate (RIPBE) VAP was developed to create a complete set of clearly identified set of parameters on a uniform vertical and temporal grid to use as input to a radiative transfer model. One of the main drivers for RIPBE was as input to the Broadband Heating Rate Profile (BBHRP) VAP, but we also envision using RIPBE files for user-run radiative transfer codes, as part of cloud/aerosol retrieval testbeds, and as input to averaged datastreams for model evaluation.