A Parameterization for Computing Grid-Averaged Solar Fluxes for Inhomogeneous Marine Boundary Layer Clouds. Part II: Validation Using Satellite Data

The Independent Pixel approximation (IPA) is one of the simplest methods of computing solar radiative fluxes for inhomogencous clouds. It claims that if p(τ) is a normalized probability density function for cloud optical depth τ and Rpp(τ) is plane-parallel, homogeneous (PPH) albedo, mean cloud albedo can be approximated by integrating p(τ)Rpp(τ) over all τ. The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of the gamma distribution function …