Optical instruments synergy in determination of optical depth of thin clouds

oleh: Viviana Vlăduţescu Daniela, Schwartz Stephen E., Huang Dong

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: EDP Sciences 2018-01-01

Deskripsi

Optically thin clouds have a strong radiative effect and need to be represented accurately in climate models. Cloud optical depth of thin clouds was retrieved using high resolution digital photography, lidar, and a radiative transfer model. The Doppler Lidar was operated at 1.5 μm, minimizing return from Rayleigh scattering, emphasizing return from aerosols and clouds. This approach examined cloud structure on scales 3 to 5 orders of magnitude finer than satellite products, opening new avenues for examination of cloud structure and evolution.