Airborne validation of cirrus cloud properties derived from CALIPSO lidar measurements: Optical properties

Dennis L. Hlavka; John E. Yorks; Stuart A. Young; Mark A. Vaughan; Ralph E. Kuehn; Matthew J. McGill; Sharon D. Rodier

doi:10.1029/2011JD017053

Back

Airborne validation of cirrus cloud properties derived from CALIPSO lidar measurements: Optical properties

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Airborne validation of cirrus cloud properties derived from CALIPSO lidar measurements: Optical properties

Dennis L. Hlavka, John E. Yorks, Stuart A. Young, Mark A. Vaughan, Ralph E. Kuehn, Matthew J. McGill and Sharon D. Rodier

Journal of geophysical research. Atmospheres, Vol.117(D9), D09207

05/09/2012

DOI: 10.1029/2011JD017053

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JD017053View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite was successfully launched in April 2006 to study cloud and aerosol layers using range-resolved laser remote sensing. Dedicated flights were conducted from July 26 to August 14, 2006 using the airborne Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) to validate the CALIPSO lidar (CALIOP) data products. This paper presents results from coincident ice cloud measurements of lidar ratio, extinction coefficient, and optical depth. Flight segment case studies are shown as well as statistics for all coincident measurements during this CALIPSO-CloudSat Validation Experiment (CC-VEX). For the penetrated portion of opaque layers, CALIOP estimates of lidar ratio and extinction are substantially lower than the corresponding CPL values. Significant differences were also found for measurements of horizontally aligned ice, where different instrument viewing geometries precluded meaningful comparisons. After filtering the data set to exclude these discrepancies, overall CALIOP lidar ratio and extinction averages compared favorably to within 1% of overall CPL averages. When restricting the data further to exact coincident in-cloud point-pairs, CALIOP lidar ratios remained close to CPL values, averaging 2.1% below CPL, and the retrieved extinction and optical depth averaged 14.7% above CPL values, a result partially of higher average CALIOP attenuated backscatter but still a respectably close match.

Physical Sciences

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences

Science & Technology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Airborne validation of cirrus cloud properties derived from CALIPSO lidar measurements: Optical properties
Creators: Dennis L. Hlavka - NASA, Mesoscale Atmospher Proc Lab, Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
John E. Yorks - Sci Syst & Applicat Inc, Lanham, MD USA
Stuart A. Young - CSIRO Marine & Atmospher Res, Aspendale, Vic, Australia
Mark A. Vaughan - NASA, Langley Res Ctr, Hampton, VA 23665 USA
Ralph E. Kuehn - Univ Wisconsin Madison, Cooperat Inst Meteorol Satellite Studies, Madison, WI USA
Matthew J. McGill - NASA, Mesoscale Atmospher Proc Lab, Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
Sharon D. Rodier - Sci Syst & Applicat Inc, Lanham, MD USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of geophysical research. Atmospheres, Vol.117(D9), D09207
DOI: 10.1029/2011JD017053
ISSN: 2169-897X
eISSN: 2169-8996
Publisher: Amer Geophysical Union
Number of pages: 22
Grant note: NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Language: English
Date published: 05/09/2012
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Record Identifier: 9984277459002771

Metrics

20 Record Views

18 Times Cited - Web of Science