Abstract

Aerosols directly affect climate through their alteration of the radiation budget. In the case of tropospheric aerosols, the main impact is on the solar energy deposition profile since they are generally at a temperature similar to that of the surface and hence do not greatly influence the infrared radiation fields. Thus, one fundamental measurement for assessing the climatic effects of aerosols is to directly measure the radiative flux divergence in the layers of the atmosphere within which they are located.

© 1983 Optical Society of America