Simulations with a radiation model and comparisons with LBA data sets

Abstract

The Large‐Scale Biosphere‐Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) data are used to estimate and validate infrared and solar radiation models calculations of Chou and Suarez [1994 , 1999] . The models are tested for two contrasting vegetation regions. forest and grassland. Observed data of several days and different times of a day collected in the two sites are used to test the models. The results show that the model simulations in general agree well with the observations for both the forest and grassland cases. The mean errors are around the same order or lower than the instrument errors, except in the case of the reflected solar radiation. The radiation fluxes are strongly correlated with the observed data, significant at 99% confidence level, except in the case of the downward longwave radiation. The use of the Bonferrone technique confirmed the information given by the correlation coefficient calculations.