No abstract

The photolysis frequency of NO2, j(NO2), was determined by various instrumental techniques and calculated using a number of radiative transfer models for 4 days in June 1998 at the International Photolysis Frequency Measurement and Modeling Intercomparison (IPMMI) in Boulder, Colorado. Experimental techniques included filter radiometry, spectroradiometry, and chemical actinometry. Eight research groups participated using 14 different instruments to determine j(NO2). The blind intercomparison experimental results were submitted to the independent experimental referee and have been compared. Also submitted to the modeling referee were the results of NO2 photolysis frequency calculations for the same time period made by 13 groups who used 15 different radiative transfer models. These model results have been compared with each other and also with the experimental results. The model calculation of clear‐sky j(NO2) values can yield accurate results, but the accuracy depends heavily on the accuracy of the molecular parameters used in these calculations. The instrumental measurements of j(NO2) agree to within the uncertainty of the individual instruments and indicate the stated uncertainties in the instruments or the uncertainties of the molecular parameters may be overestimated. This agreement improves somewhat with the use of more recent NO2 cross‐section data reported in the literature.

Abstract. Uncertainties in modeled spectral UV irradiances under cloud-free conditions are analyzed with respect to limited measurement accuracy of actual atmospheric input parameters or their nonavailability under the assumption that no uncertainty results from the used model or from the spectral values of the extraterrestrial solar irradiance and the gaseous absorption coefficients. The resulting mean uncertainty of spectral UV irradiance is calculated using a root-mean-square (rms) procedure for various scenarios, defined by differing qualities of the used sets of input values. The results are discussed with respect to the possibility of reducing the uncertainty in modeled UV irradiances by additional measurements of input parameters and, on the other hand, assessing which of such measurements may be redundant since greater measurement expense leads to no significant improvement in accuracy of modeled irradiances. The uncertainties in modeled UV irradiances are mainly produced by the uncertainties of the measured ozone amount, by the aerosol optical depth if it is not directly measured, and by the soot concentration of the aerosol in the haze layer. Additional uncertainties can arise where snow cover is present. If 03 and SO2 contents, spectral aerosol optical depth, and aerosol soot concentration near the ground are measured under actual conditions, the uncertainties in input parameters result in a mean uncertainty of about 5% for spectral integrals of UV irradiance. These results cannot be improved significantly, even when measured values of vertical profiles of all atmospheric constituents are used. Using only the observed visibility without the measurement of aerosol optical properties, the mean uncertainty for modeled UV integrals is about 10-15%.

Abstract. The validity of a radiative transfer model can be checked either by comparing its results with measurements or with solutions for artificial cases. Unfortunately, neither type of comparison can guarantee that the spectral UV surface irradiance is accurately calculated for real atmospheric cases. There is a need therefore for benchmarks, i.e., standard results that can be used as a validation tool for UV radiation models. In this paper we give such benchmarks for six cloud-free situations. The chosen cases are characterized by different values of solar zenith angle, ozone column, aerosol loading, and surface albedo. Observations are also available for these cases to allow a further comparison between model results and measurements. An intercomparison of 12 numerical models is used to construct the benchmarks. Each model is supplied with identical input data, and a distinction is made between models that assume a planeparallel geometry and those that use a pseudospherical approximation. Differences remain between the model results, because of different treatments of the input data set. Calculations of direct and global transmission and direct and global irradiance are within 3% for wavelengths longer than 320 nm. For the low-Sun cases the calculations are within 10% for wavelengths longer than 300 nm. On the basis of these calculations, six benchmark UV spectra (295-400 nm) are established with a standard deviation of 2%. Relative standard deviations are higher for the lowest absolute intensities at low Sun (5% at 300 nm). The variation between models is typically less than the variation seen between model and measurement. Differences between the benchmarks and the observed spectra are mainly due to the uncertainty in the input parameters. In four of the six cases the benchmarks agree with the observed spectra within 13% over the whole UV spectral region. IntroductionIn this paper we compare 12 radiative transfer models that are used in various institutes throughout Europe to calculate the surface solar spectral UV irradiance. For this study all Several groups involved in SUVDAMA have a radiation code, which they use for analyzing their spectral irradiance measurements. The objective of this paper is to intercompare these codes, as they are usually run, using the best (and always limited) ancillary data as input parameters, and to compare the model results with actual irradiance measurements. The paper shows that the interpretation of ancillary measurements such as aerosol optical depth and total ozone, which are often performed simultaneously with irradiance measurements, can lead to differences in the calculated spectra. 4915

No abstract

Eighteen radiative transfer models in use for calculation of UV index are compared with respect to their results for more that 100 cloud-free atmospheres, which describe present, possible future and extreme conditions. The comparison includes six multiple-scattering spectral models, eight fast spectral models and four empirical models. Averages of the results of the six participating multiple-scattering spectral models are taken as a basis for assessment. The agreement among the multiple-scattering models is within +/- 0.5 UV index values for more than 80% of chosen atmospheric parameters. The fast spectral models have very different agreement, between +/- 1 and up to 12 UV index values. The results of the empirical models agree reasonably well with the reference models but only for the atmospheres for which they have been developed. The data to describe the atmospheric conditions, which are used for the comparison, together with the individual results of all participating models and model descriptions are available on the Internet: http://www.meteo.physik.uni-muenchen.de/++ +strahlung/cost/.

In order to provide information about photolysis frequencies in the aqueous phase for chemical transport models including wet chemistry a parameterization which can be added to gaseous-phase photolysis models was developed. The actinic fluxes inside cloud droplets are calculated on the basis of rigorous Mie theory taking into account the effect of dissolved particulate aerosol material and 10 representative cloud droplet size distributions. The results show that the actinic flux inside cloud droplets are on the average more than twice as large as compared to the interstitial air. The newly developed parameterization has been applied together with the model STAR (System for Transfer of Atmospheric Radiation). Apart from the parameters influencing gas-phase photolysis frequencies the radiation quantities inside the cloud droplets and therefore the photolysis frequencies in the aqueous phase depend on the droplet size distribution, the mixing ratio of dry aerosol particulate material to c loud droplet water, and the amount of light absorbing material in the droplets. In-droplet radical source strengths have been calculated for the most important photolytic sources of OH and SO(4- )

For many cases modeled and measured UV global irradiances agree to within +/-5% for cloudless conditions, provided that all relevant parameters for describing the atmosphere and the surface are well known. However, for conditions with snow-covered surfaces this agreement is usually not achievable, because on the one hand the regional albedo, which has to be used in a model, is only rarely available and on the other hand UV irradiance alters with different snow cover of the surface by as much as 50%. Therefore a method is given to determine the regional albedo values for conditions with snow cover by use of a parameterization on the basis of snow depth and snow age, routinely monitored by the weather services. An algorithm is evolved by multiple linear regression between the snow data and snow-albedo values in the UV, which are determined from a best fit of modeled and measured UV irradiances for an alpine site in Europe. The resulting regional albedo values in the case of snow are in the 0.18-0.5 range. Since the constants of the regression depend on the area conditions, they have to be adapted if the method is applied for other sites. Using the algorithm for actual cases with different snow conditions improves the accuracy of modeled UV irradiances considerably. Compared with the use of an average, constant snow albedo, the use of actual albedo values, provided by the algorithm, halves the average deviations between measured and modeled UV global irradiances.