Estimation of the radiation budget during MOSAiC based on ground-based and satellite remote sensing observations

Barrientos-Velasco, Carola; Cox, Christopher J.; Deneke, Hartwig; Dodson, J. Brant; Hünerbein, Anja; Shupe, Matthew D.; Taylor, Patrick C.; Macke, Andreas

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3929-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 7

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3929-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3929-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 25, issue 7

Research article

|

08 Apr 2025

Research article |

| 08 Apr 2025

Estimation of the radiation budget during MOSAiC based on ground-based and satellite remote sensing observations

Carola Barrientos-Velasco, Christopher J. Cox, Hartwig Deneke, J. Brant Dodson, Anja Hünerbein, Matthew D. Shupe, Patrick C. Taylor, and Andreas Macke

Data sets

1D broadband radiative transfer model simulations for the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition Carola Barrientos-Velasco https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12514679

Met City meteorological and surface flux measurements (Level 3 Final), Multi- disciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), central Arctic, October 2019 - September 2020 Christopher Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.18739/A2PV6B83F

Atmospheric Surface Flux Station 30 measurements (Level 3 Final), Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), central Arctic, October 2019 - September 2020 Christopher Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.18739/A2FF3M18K

Atmospheric Surface Flux Station 40 measurements (Level 3 Final), Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), central Arctic, October 2019 - September 2020 Christopher Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.18739/A25X25F0P

Atmospheric Surface Flux Station 50 measurements (Level 3 Final), Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), central Arctic, October 2019 - September 2020 Christopher Cox et al. https://doi.org/10.18739/A2XD0R00S

hdeneke/pyRRTMG: Release with correct versioning scheme Hartwig Deneke https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11147087

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1979 to present Hans Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1979 to present Hans Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

CERES and GEO-Enhanced TOA, Within-Atmosphere and Surface Fluxes, Clouds and Aerosols 1-Hourly Terra-Aqua Edition4A NASA/LARC/SD/ASDC https://doi.org/10.5067/TERRA+AQUA/CERES/SYN1DEG-1HOUR_L3.004A

Short summary

Understanding how clouds affect the climate, especially in the Arctic, is crucial. This study used data from the largest polar expedition in history, MOSAiC, and the CERES satellite to analyse the impact of clouds on radiation. Simulations showed accurate results, aligning with observations. Over the year, clouds caused the atmospheric surface system to lose 5.2 W m⁻² of radiative energy to space, while the surface gained 25 W m⁻² and the atmosphere cooled by 30.2 W m⁻².