Atmospheric radiative processes have a significant impact on the Earth's climate, and Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) is internationally recognized as the premier global authority on these processes and their effects.
Radiative Transfer in the Earth’s Energy Budget
Radiative transfer is the transport of energy by electromagnetic waves through a gas. This example highlighting the Earth’s Energy Budget depicts energy exchanges between the Earth's surface, the Earth's atmosphere, and space.
The radiative transfer models developed and maintained by AER are used by leading climate and weather organizations throughout the world. Our expertise spans everything from theory to operational applications, with particular emphasis on:
- The development of detailed spectral models incorporating the effects of atmospheric constituents, including molecules, clouds and aerosols
- Detailed spectral validation of these models against atmospheric data
- The development of radiatively consistent, computationally efficient radiative transfer models for implementation in process study and global climate models (e.g., general circulation models) for climate change studies
Our studies and related models span the full spectral regime from the microwave to the ultraviolet, and include scattering and absorption processes. The basic models and databases we've developed are widely used by leading climate model organizations throughout the world and are publicly available at http://rtweb.aer.com/.