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Aerosol optical properties and shortwave irradiance measurements at the island of Lampedusa (central Mediterranean) during 2004-2007 are combined with Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System observations of the outgoing shortwave flux at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). The measurements are used to estimate the surface (FES), the top of the atmosphere (FETOA), and the atmospheric (FEATM) shortwave aerosol forcing efficiencies for solar zenith angle (theta) between 15 and 55 for desert dust (DD), urban/industrial-biomass burning aerosols (UI-BB), and mixed aerosols (MA). The forcing efficiency at the different atmospheric levels is derived by applying the direct method, that is, as the derivative of the shortwave net flux versus the aerosol optical depth at fixed theta. The diurnal average forcing efficiency at the surface/TOA at the equinox is (-68.9 +/- 4.0)/(-45.5 +/- 5.4) W m(-2) for DD, (-59.0 +/- 4.3)/(-19.2 +/- 3.3) W m(-2) for UI-BB, and (-94.9 +/- 5.1)/(-36.2 +/- 1.7) W m(-2) for MA. The diurnal average atmospheric radiative forcing at the equinox is (+7.3 +/- 2.5) W m(-2) for DD, (+8.4 +/- 1.9) W m(-2) for UI-BB, and (+8.2 +/- 1.9) W m(-2) for MA, suggesting that the mean atmospheric forcing is almost independent of the aerosol type. The largest values of the atmospheric forcing may reach +35 W m(-2) for DD, +23 W m(-2) for UI-BB, and +34 W m(-2) for MA. FETOA is calculated for MA and 25 degrees <= theta <= 35 degrees for three classes of single scattering albedo (0.7 <= omega <= 0.8, 0.8 <= omega <= 0.9, and 0.9 <= omega <= 1) at 415.6 and 868.7 nm: FETOA increases, in absolute value, for increasing omega. A 0.1 increment in omega determines an increase in FETOA by 10-20 W m(-2).