Cloud identification for ERBE radiative flux retrieval

Abstract

It is argued that the new angular dependence models are a more complete description of the Earth's radiation field than any previously available models. When used to determine cloud conditions for the inversion of satellite-measured radiances to fluxes, simulations predict that the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) approach gives substantial improvements over both a Lambertian Earth assumption and clear/cloud threshold used in the inversion of Nimbus 3 and Nimbus 7 Earth Radiation Budget scanner data. The MLE methodology will be used in the operational processing of the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) scanner data. The present paper serves to document both the philosophy and the form of the MLE methodology. Validation studies using both ERBE and Nimbus 7 radiation budget data will be the subject of future papers by several ERBE Science Team investigators. -from Authors