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Optical backscatter characteristics of Arctic polar stratospheric clouds
Author(s) -
Kent G. S.,
Poole L. R.,
McCormick M. P.,
Schaffner S. K.,
Hunt W. H.,
Osborn M. T.
Publication year - 1990
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/gl017i004p00377
Subject(s) - backscatter (email) , stratosphere , polar , atmospheric sciences , arctic , lidar , latitude , population , environmental science , aerosol , optical depth , range (aeronautics) , remote sensing , geology , physics , meteorology , materials science , geodesy , astronomy , oceanography , computer science , wireless , telecommunications , demography , sociology , composite material
Airborne lidar measurements have been made of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition in January–February 1989.These show the existence of a systematic relationship between the backscatter depolarization ratio, δ, and the (aerosol + molecular)/molecular backscatter ratio, R.The data are consistent with a two population PSC particle model. The first population consists of particles with low values for δ (≤ 0.02) and low to intermediate values for R (≤ 6). The second population is characterized by higher values for δ (up to 0.60) and R (up to 40 or greater). The relationship between δ and R, observed within a limited range of altitudes and latitudes, corresponds to a mixture of the two populations with variable concentrations but constant optical properties.