Causes for Decadal Trends in Surface Solar Radiation in the Alpine Region in the 1981–2020 Period
Open access
Datum
2024-05-16Typ
- Journal Article
ETH Bibliographie
yes
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Abstract
Extending across seven countries, the Alps represent an important element for climate and atmospheric circulation in Central Europe. Its complex topography affects processes on different scales within the atmospheric system. This is of major relevance for the decadal trends in surface solar radiation (SSR), also known as periods of global dimming and brightening (GDB). In this study we analyzed data from 38 stations in and around the Swiss and Austrian Alps, over a period ranging from the 1980s up to the 2020s, with the aim of characterizing the spatio-temporal variations of the GDB and understanding the causes for such trends in this region. Our results show a different behavior in the SSR decadal trends in the western part of the Alps in comparison to the eastern part. Our results also suggest a remarkable difference between the causes of such trends at the stations at low altitudes in comparison to the stations at higher altitudes. Significant contributions from changes in cloud optical depth and surface albedo to the SSR decadal trends at high elevation sites were also found, in contrast to a substantial clear-sky forcing that strongly dominates at low elevations. Results from previous literature and available data suggest that cloud optical depth changes at high altitudes and clear-sky forcing at low altitudes could be associated with the indirect and direct aerosol effects, respectively, due to differing pollution levels at low and high elevation sites. Mehr anzeigen
Persistenter Link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000671306Publikationsstatus
publishedExterne Links
Zeitschrift / Serie
Journal of Geophysical Research: AtmospheresBand
Seiten / Artikelnummer
Verlag
WileyOrganisationseinheit
02350 - Dep. Umweltsystemwissenschaften / Dep. of Environmental Systems Science
Förderung
188601 - Towards an improved understanding of the Global Energy Balance: causes of decadal changes of solar radiation (SNF)
ETH Bibliographie
yes
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