Clear‐sky, upwelling shortwave flux at the top of the atmosphere $\left(S_{\rm {TOA}}^{\uparrow}\right)$ , simulated using the atmospheric and land model components of the Community Climate System Model 3 (CCSM3), is compared to corresponding observational estimates from the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) sensor. Improvements resulting from the use of land surface albedo derived from Moderate Resolution Imagi...