Satellite retrieved clouds and the radiation budget in support of BALTEX regional studies

We present in our paper two methods to use satellite data for a comparison with a regional scale model for the Baltic sea area. Two examples are given , first to derive the radiation budget from measurements with a scanning ra diometer and second to make use of the cloud information from ISCCP. First results show good agreement and demonstrate their capability to improve reg ional scale models. The disadvantages are mainly the poor sampling (first m ethod) and in the second case the coarse resolution. After an introduction and a brief discussion of the regional scale model and the instrument desig n of the Scanner for Radiation Budget, we present the comparison of ScaRaB and the model calculated radiation. After that we discuss a comparison of t he ISCCP cloud data with the model. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.