THE EVALUATION OF A SHUTTLE BORNE LIDAR EXPERIMENT TO MEASURE THE GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF AEROSOLS AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE ATMOSPHERIC HEAT BUDGET

摘要

The distribution of radiatively active constituents such as aerosols and clouds may produce changes in the distri¬bution of surface temperatures (duration of growing season) or precipitation (drought or floods) before longer range trends such as ice ages become sig¬nificant. General circulation patterns are influenced by the vertical sta¬bility of the atmosphere. The temperature profiles which determine this stability are affected by the vertical distributions of radiatively active constituents which may alter radiative heating or cooling rates.