Open AccessCirrus cloud optical, microphysical, and radiative properties observed during the CRYSTAL‐FACE experiment: A lidar‐radar retrieval system
Author(s) -
Mitrescu C.,
Haynes J. M.,
Stephens G. L.,
Miller S. D.,
Heymsfield G. M.,
McGill M. J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2004jd005605
Subject(s) - cirrus , lidar , ice crystals , remote sensing , radar , environmental science , mie scattering , radiative transfer , cloud physics , scattering , meteorology , cloud computing , materials science , computer science , physics , geology , optics , light scattering , telecommunications , operating system
A method of retrieving cloud microphysical properties using combined observations from both cloud radar and lidar is introduced. The description of the lidar‐radar model accounts for nonspherical effects of the ice crystals, with a treatment for multiple scattering and Mie effects. This retrieval makes use of an improvement to the traditional optimal estimation retrieval method, whereby a series of corrections are applied to the state vector during the search for an iterative solution. This allows faster convergence to a solution and is less processor intensive. The retrieval method is applied to radar and lidar observations from the CRYSTAL‐FACE experiment, and vertical profiles of ice crystal characteristic diameter, number concentration, and ice water content are retrieved for a cirrus cloud layer observed 1 day of that experiment. Empirical relationships between ice water content and radar reflectivity as well as between particle number concentrations and characteristic diameter are also examined. The results indicate that a distinct and robust relationship exists between the latter two parameters, offering insight into the nature of cirrus microphysical processes.