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Longwave atmospheric radiation over Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2004

J.C. King
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK

Abstract

The seasonal and spatial variation of downward longwave radiation (L↓) at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet is studied using data from four stations. L↓ is found to depend on the fourth power of the surface temperature but on the sixth power of the temperature at the top of the surface inversion layer. The former result is shown to be a consequence of the dominance of longwave radiation in the surface energy balance while the latter raises some questions concerning the radiative properties of Antarctic clouds. Simple parametrizations of L↓ as a function of temperature are suggested; these may find application in validating General Circulation Model radiation calculations over Antarctica.

Type
Papers—Atmospheric Sciences
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1996

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