Monthly Outgoing Longwave Radiation
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MONTHLY AVERAGE OLR (with shading in tropics) (W/m2) |
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Monthly Outgoing Longwave Radiation MONTHLY OLR ANOMALY (W/m2)
MONTHLY AVERAGE OLR (with shading in tropics) (W/m2)
Data: Outgoing Longwave Radiation ("OLR") anomaly and observed (watt/m2) on a 2.5 x 2.5 deg. lat/lon grid
Base Period for Climatology: 1974-present
Data Source: NCEP, Climate Prediction CenterDescription
Top Plot: Departure of the monthly OLR from the long term monthly mean in units of Watts/m2. Negative values imply increased cloudiness and enhanced likelihood of precipitation. Positive anomalies imply decreased cloudiness/precipitation. These relationships work best in tropical regions.
Bottom Plot: Observed monthly OLR in units of Watts/m2, contour interval 10. Green shading in tropical regions indicates areas where the monthly OLR is less than 240 W/m2, a general indicator of precipitation in the tropics.