Spectral longwave radiative kernel

Brief Description: This set of radiative kernels can be used with monthly-mean fields (such as those from CMIP5 archives) to derive spectrally resolved longwave radiative feedbacks. The original spectral radiative kernels were calculated for 1 cm-1 resolution. What is provided here are two versions: (1) band-by-band version of our spectral radiative kernels for the bands defined in the RRTMG LW scheme and (2) 10 cm-1 resolution as discussed in Huang et al. (2014).

Here is a slide show (link) explaining why we need to study climate through a spectral lens.

Download Data: If you are analyzing CMIP outputs, it is advised to use #1 or #3, the spectral radiative kernels at the 17-pressure levels

  1. Band-by-band radiative kernels at the 17-pressure levels (the same levels used by broadband radiative kernels): for air temperature (link, 322MB), water vapor (link, 322MB), and surface temperature(link, 19MB). The spectral bands are the same as the 16 spectral bands used in the RRTMG_LW.
    • Two Matlab sample codes to use such kernels to compute feedback (Sample1, Sample2)
  2. Band-by-band radiative kernels at the original PCRTM pressure levels: for air temperature (link, 1.5GB in total), water vapor (link, 1.5GB in total), surface temperature (link, 19MB in total). The spectral bands are the same as the 16 spectral bands used in the RRTMG_LW.
  3. 10 cm-1 radiative kernels at the 17-pressure levels (the same levels used by broadband radiative kernels): link (each file for one calendar month and is ~ 1GB in size)

Data format: The data is in NetCDF format. The spatial resolution is 2o by 2.5o.

Acknowledgments: The work is supported by programs in NASA Earth Sciences Division.

Should you have any questions, please email me.

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