Articles | Volume 14, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1363-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1363-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Understanding variations in downwelling longwave radiation using Brutsaert's equation
Yinglin Tian
State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
Biospheric Theory and Modelling, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07701 Jena, Germany
Deyu Zhong
State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
Sarosh Alam Ghausi
Biospheric Theory and Modelling, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07701 Jena, Germany
International Max Planck Research School on Global Biogeochemical Cycles (IMPRS-gBGC), 07701 Jena, Germany
Guangqian Wang
State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
Biospheric Theory and Modelling, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07701 Jena, Germany
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Cited
13 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Enhanced global soil moisture prediction through a sampling-weighted sensitive learning strategy applied to various LSTM-based models X. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2025.106068
- Comprehensive UAV and ground data for typical semiarid sites in the midstream of the Heihe River Basin J. Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07151-0
- Decadal variation of longwave downwelling and net radiation as observed at the surface with implication for climate sensitivity: Based on pyrgeometer and pyranometer measurements A. Ohmura https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemets.2024.100003
- Characterizing heatwaves based on land surface energy budget Y. Tian et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01784-y
- Thermodynamically inconsistent extreme precipitation sensitivities across continents driven by cloud-radiative effects S. Ghausi et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55143-8
- A cloud radiative flux computation using machine learning approach: influence of cloud properties in modifying longwave and shortwave outgoing radiation R. Krishnaveni et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-026-06319-3
- Improving global soil moisture prediction through cluster-averaged sampling strategy Q. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116999
- Surface Meteorology and Air–Sea Fluxes at the WHOTS Ocean Reference Station: Variability at Periods up to One Year R. Weller et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/meteorology5010005
- High resolution (1 km-daily) potential evapotranspiration dataset over Europe and the Mediterranean region S. Bouabdelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133839
- Atmospheric water vapor contribution to interannual variability of Northern Hemisphere summer heatwaves D. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-026-01361-4
- Hygroscopic aerosols amplify longwave downward radiation in the Arctic D. Ji et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3889-2025
- The radiative effects of water vapour from terrestrial evapotranspiration M. Lague et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adde72
- Evaluation and improvement of parameterization methods for estimating cloudy-sky downwelling surface longwave radiation from geostationary satellite data Y. Jiang & B. Tang https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2024.2356111
13 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Enhanced global soil moisture prediction through a sampling-weighted sensitive learning strategy applied to various LSTM-based models X. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2025.106068
- Comprehensive UAV and ground data for typical semiarid sites in the midstream of the Heihe River Basin J. Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-07151-0
- Decadal variation of longwave downwelling and net radiation as observed at the surface with implication for climate sensitivity: Based on pyrgeometer and pyranometer measurements A. Ohmura https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemets.2024.100003
- Characterizing heatwaves based on land surface energy budget Y. Tian et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01784-y
- Thermodynamically inconsistent extreme precipitation sensitivities across continents driven by cloud-radiative effects S. Ghausi et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55143-8
- A cloud radiative flux computation using machine learning approach: influence of cloud properties in modifying longwave and shortwave outgoing radiation R. Krishnaveni et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-026-06319-3
- Improving global soil moisture prediction through cluster-averaged sampling strategy Q. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116999
- Surface Meteorology and Air–Sea Fluxes at the WHOTS Ocean Reference Station: Variability at Periods up to One Year R. Weller et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/meteorology5010005
- High resolution (1 km-daily) potential evapotranspiration dataset over Europe and the Mediterranean region S. Bouabdelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133839
- Atmospheric water vapor contribution to interannual variability of Northern Hemisphere summer heatwaves D. Cao et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-026-01361-4
- Hygroscopic aerosols amplify longwave downward radiation in the Arctic D. Ji et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3889-2025
- The radiative effects of water vapour from terrestrial evapotranspiration M. Lague et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adde72
- Evaluation and improvement of parameterization methods for estimating cloudy-sky downwelling surface longwave radiation from geostationary satellite data Y. Jiang & B. Tang https://doi.org/10.1080/17538947.2024.2356111
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 03 Jun 2026
Short summary
Downward longwave radiation (Rld) is critical for the surface energy budget, but its climatological variation on a global scale is not yet well understood physically. We use a semi-empirical equation derived by Brutsaert (1975) to identify the controlling role that atmospheric heat storage plays in spatiotemporal variations of Rld. Our work helps us to better understand aspects of climate variability, extreme events, and global warming by linking these to the mechanistic contributions of Rld.
Downward longwave radiation (Rld) is critical for the surface energy budget, but its...
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