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Subtropical cirrus cloud extinction to backscatter ratios measured by Raman...

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