DOE/Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program

The TAO Project Office and the DOE/ARM Program have embarked on a joint in situ short wave radiation measurement program in the tropical Pacific. The in situ measurements are made from ATLAS moorings of the TAO Array along 165°E. The data consist of a real-time data stream of daily statistics, and an internally recorded data set of 2-minute daily averages. The array was implemented in 1997 and will be maintained for several years. The data will be used to address ARM objectives of characterizing the time and space scales of incoming shortwave radiation at the ocean surface in the tropical Pacific, for improved understanding of cloud radiative feedbacks in the climate system, for development and validation of radiation schemes used in climate models, and for understanding the impact of solar radiation on the heat balance of the ocean. DOE/ARM shortwave radiation data can be viewed via the TAO Enhanced Data Display page and accessed via the TAO/TRITON Data Delivery page. Moored shortwave radiation measurements supported by other programs at different times and locations (such as COARE and EPIC) can also be accessed from the display and delivery pages.