The influence of cloudiness and atmospheric circulation on radiation balance and its components

Abstract

The article contains an analysis of the influence of cloudiness and atmospheric circulation on the components of radiation balance (Q*) using the example of measurements taken in an extra-urban area of Koniczynka near Toruń (Central Poland) in the years 2011–2018. The average annual value of Q* was 1,818.5 MJ·m−2 with a maximum of 352.3 MJ·m−2 in June, and negative values from November to January (December: −27.4 MJ·m−2). The shortwave radiation balance (S*) amounted to 3,129.2 MJ·m−2 and the longwave radiation balance (L*) was ˗1,310.7 MJ·m−2. In June the average solar irradiance (S↓) at midday was 600 W·m−2. The natural annual and diurnal course of Q* components, determined by astronomical factors, is disturbed by changes in cloudiness and inflow of various air masses. It has been found that an increase in cloudiness causes the amount of incoming solar radiation (S↓) to fall, thus decreasing the S* balance. Moreover, clouds restrict longwave radiation balance (L*), in particular, downward atmospheric radiation (L↓) increases. The opposite relationships of S* and L* affect Q* in individual months. The components of Q* are influenced by atmospheric circulation; it has been observed that anticyclonic types, characterised by smaller cloud amounts, favour a greater influx of (S↓) and—at the same time—greater emittance (L↑); however, Q* is then greater than in the case of cyclonic circulation. A statistically significant trend of Q* and its components has not been ascertained. A notable great year-on-year variability of Q*, ranging from 1,640.4 MJ·m−2 (in 2011) to 2,081.6 MJ·m−2 (in 2018), affects the environment. The changes are related to the cloudiness and the frequency of occurrence of different atmospheric circulation types. The role of snow cover is also important as snow reflects solar radiation which leads to the decrease of S* and—as a result—to a negative value of Q* in winter.

Global trends in atmospheric layer thickness since 1940 and relationships with tropical and extratropical climate forcing

“…Moreover, the atmospheric capacity for water vapor escalates with warming, leading to a moister and thus, a thicker atmosphere [37]. Additionally, changes in cloud cover and albedo can indirectly impact atmospheric thickness by influencing the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed, in addition to their impact on outgoing longwave radiation [38].…”

Phase variations of the summer and winter seasons in the Bohai Sea during the last four decades

“…The negative correlation (spatiallyaveraged r = -0.65) indicates that the larger late spring solar radiation leads to an earlier summer ONS. Furthermore, the cloud cover is regarded as an important regulator of the amount of incoming solar radiation that reaches the sea surface (Hughes, 1984;He et al, 2019;Gao et al, 2020;Kejna et al, 2021); And the cooling action of local cloud predominates over the entire Bohai and Yellow Seas (Yuan, 2011;Yao et al, 2020). Figure 7B shows that the significant positive correlations (r ranging from 0.5 to 0.8) between time series of the one-month accumulated TCC in late spring and that of the summer ONS exhibits in large areas of the Bohai Sea.…”

Thermo-Hygrometric Variability on Waterfronts in Negative Radiation Balance: A Case Study of Balneário Camboriú/SC, Brazil

“…According to the synoptic chart, on this date, and according to the classification by [65], the Atlantic Polar Air Mass dominated. Air temperatures were relatively high, although the air was of polar origin, with moderately high RH, which may have resulted in an increase in cloudiness throughout the day [44,66] (positive radiation balance) and even precipitation, but there were clear sky nights, with the nocturnal cooling typical of situations of negative radiation balance. The data collection on the field (Table 2) enabled maps to be generated that show the specialization of the Ta and RH at the time of collection (Figure 6).…”

“…Recently, other authors go further, discussing the radiation balance with the materials [38] that make up the city and its relationship with mesoscale climatic conditions [39][40][41] using remote sensing tools. However, some authors discuss the variability in the city's thermo-hygrometric field at specific times of the day, such as the maximum or minimum amount of solar radiation and its balance [42][43][44][45][46].…”