Variability of radiation properties for different cloud types observed by CERES

This study evaluates the variations of cloud properties for different types of clouds using the Cloud and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) Single Scanner Footprint (SSF) data obtained by both CERES and MODIS measurements from the NASA EOS satellites during January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2005. Generally, same types of clouds from different preferred areas have different radiative fluxes due mainly to the differences in solar insulation and local atmospheric profiles. When the same types of clouds are analyzed in the same boreal seasons, although there are large differences in cloud covers, the differences in radiation fluxes of these clouds are remarkably reduced. The inter-annual variations in the mean liquid water path (LWP) and ice water path (IWP) estimates for maritime straticumulus and anvil clouds, respectively, are very small, at least for these normal climate years, even the probability density functions show large variability in both LWP and IWP values. The area-to-area variability for the same type of clouds is as large as seasonal variability. Anvils in North Atlantic storm track regions have the largest seasonal variability, while the clouds off the coast of California exhibit minimal variations.