Radiative Properties of Aerosols and Clouds from Observations and Models over the Southeast Atlantic

The southeast Atlantic serves as a natural laboratory for studying aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions due to the abundant presence of quasi-permanent stratocumulus and overlying biomass burning smoke aerosols during austral winters. Aerosol and cloud properties from the Spectrometers for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR) and Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR) on board NASA P-3 and High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) on board NASA ER-2 during the NASA ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES) field campaign are used to compare with satellite retrievals. Aerosol and cloud properties from regional climate models such as WRF-Chem, WRF-Chem (with CAM5), ALADIN, GEOS-CHEM, EAM-E3SM, MERRA-2, and GEOS-5 with aerosol schemes are also compared against airborne measurements and satellite retrievals to evaluate and address the current model deficiencies in the southeast Atlantic. A preliminary estimate of the direct aerosol radiative effects over the southeast Atlantic will be presented.