3D Radiative Transfer in Cloudy Atmospheres

Assessing developments in three-dimensional cloud radiation, this volume treats two main application areas: the impact of clouds on the Earth's radiation budget, and remote observation of clouds. It is suitable for graduate students, researchers, and also for those interested in cloud-radiation processes in the solar and infrared spectral regions.

Developments in three-dimensional cloud radiation over the past few decades are assessed and distilled into this contributed volume. Chapters are authored by subject-matter experts who address a broad audience of graduate students, researchers, and anyone interested in cloud-radiation processes in the solar and infrared spectral regions. After two introductory chapters and a section on the fundamental physics and computational techniques, the volume extensively treats two main application areas: the impact of clouds on the Earth's radiation budget, which is an essential aspect of climate modeling; and remote observation of clouds, especially with the advanced sensors on current and future satellite missions.

Scales, Tools and Reminiscences.- Observing Clouds, and Their Optical Properies.- A Primer in Three -- Dimensional Radiaive Tranfer.- Numerical methods.- Approximation Methods in Atmospheric 3D Radiative Transfer- 3D Radiative Transfer in Stochastic Media.- Effective Cloud Properties for Large-Scale Models.- Broadband Irradiances and Heating Rates for Cloudy Atmopheres.- Longwave Radiative Transfer in Inhomogeneous Cloud Layers.- Three-Dimensional Radiative Transfer in Satellite Remote Sensing of Cloud Properties.- Horizontal Fluxes and Radiative Smoothing.- Photon Paths and Cloud Heterogenity: An Obvservational Strategy to Assess Effects of 3D Geometry on Radiative Transfer.- Three-Dimensional Radiative Transfer in Vegetation Canopies.