STREAMER PROJECT

Use the values of the parameters in the sample input files I provided as the baseline for the following experiments. Assume no cloud.

1. Download and install Streamer on your machine. See
http://stratus.ssec.wisc.edu/streamer/get.html
for instructions.

2. For each of the two model atmospheres (standard cases; see below), use Streamer to obtain the following:

Broadband fluxes (record these in tabular form as follows - total of three tables per model):

• at the surface (bottom row) and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA; top row)
• shortwave, longwave, and combined (one 2 x 3 table each)
• upwelling, downwelling, and net (three columns)

Heating profiles (x-axis equals degrees per day, y-axis is altitude in km up to 20 km -- single plot per model; three traces)

• longwave
• shortwave
• combined

Spectral fluxes (wavelength as x-axis, W/m^2 per unit wavelength (bandwidth) as y-axis --- two plots per model)

• upwelling, downwelling, net (single plot; three traces)
• surface, TOA

Standard cases are

• a tropical atmosphere (model 1 in line 11 of input file)
• a wintertime arctic atmosphere (model 7 " " )

• scale factors for above are set to 1.0 for water vapor, CO2, and ozone
• no cloud layer

3. Experiments

In each of the following two experiments, repeat the above tables and plots but as differences from the results for the standard cases:

1. Double CO2
2. 10% increase in water vapor (scale factor 1.1)

By my calculations, each standard case or experiment (single model) will yield (3 plots + 3 tables) all of which can probably be fit on one page with careful arrangement and scaling. There will be six such pages (two for the standard models; two each for the experiments). Be sure to choose your plot axes and dimensions to best display the features of interest.

Writeup

Discuss (interpret and explain) the major features seen in your results for the standard cases, relating them to the absorption properties of gaseous constituents wherever possible.

Discuss the major changes seen in your results for the experiments.

What I am primarily looking for in your writeup for grading purposes is evidence that

• you succeeded in running Streamer and parsing the output files,f
• you performed the indicated experiments,
• you were able to summarize your results effectively with readable, easily interpreted plots and tables
• you have gained enough insight into radiative transfer to be able to offer CONCISE and reasonably CORRECT interpretations of the results.
  

Notes

Things you will need to change in the input files:

1) the profile models (tropical through arctic winter) in line 11
2) the output file name in line 16