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A new approach to retrieving cirrus cloud height with a combination of MODIS 1.24‐ and 1.38‐ μ m channels
Author(s) -
Wang Chenxi,
Ding Shouguo,
Yang Ping,
Baum Bryan,
Dessler Andrew E.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2012gl053854
Subject(s) - cirrus , water vapor , cloud computing , troposphere , shortwave , environmental science , cloud top , remote sensing , meteorology , absorption (acoustics) , channel (broadcasting) , radiative transfer , atmospheric sciences , computer science , geology , physics , optics , telecommunications , operating system
An approach is developed for inferring cloud top height (CTH) by using two shortwave infrared (SWIR) channels (i.e., 1.24‐ and 1.38‐ μ m) with similar cloud scattering and absorption properties but very different water vapor absorption properties. This channel combination is used to accurately infer the column water vapor amount above the clouds, from which the CTH can be retrieved. The approach performs best for ice clouds located in the upper troposphere. For those clouds, our approach performs as well or better than the current operational cloud height retrieval algorithm adopted by the MODIS science team.