Subtropical cirrus cloud extinction to backscatter ratios measured by Raman Lidar during CAMEX-3

Whiteman, D., B. Demoz, and Z. Wang (2004), Subtropical cirrus cloud extinction to backscatter ratios measured by Raman Lidar during CAMEX-3, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L12105, doi:10.1029/2004GL020003.
Abstract

The NASA/GSFC Scanning Raman Lidar was stationed on Andros Island, Bahamas for the third Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX 3) held in August – September, 1998 and acquired an extensive set of cirrus cloud measurements [Whiteman et al., 2001]. Distinct differences in the optical properties of the clouds are found when the cirrus are hurricane-induced versus non-hurricaneinduced. Hurricane-induced cirrus clouds are found to generally possess lower values of extinction-to-backscatter ratio (S) than non-hurricane-induced clouds. Comparison of the S measurements made here with those of other studies reveal at times large differences. Given that S is often a required parameter for space-based retrievals of cloud optical depth using backscatter lidar, these large differences in S measurements imply difficulties in developing a parameterization of S for use in space-based lidar retrievals.

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Research Program
Atmospheric Dynamics and Precipitation Program (ADP)
Radiation Science Program (RSP)
Mission
CAMEX 3

 

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