Lidar studies of the microphysical and optical properties of thin cirrus clouds

J. B. Nee; C. W. Chian; W. N. Chen

doi:10.1117/12.619513

12 May 2005 Lidar studies of the microphysical and optical properties of thin cirrus clouds (Invited Paper)

J. B. Nee, C. W. Chian, W. N. Chen

Proceedings Volume 5832, Optical Technologies for Atmospheric, Ocean, and Environmental Studies; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.619513
Event: Optical Technologies for Atmospheric, Ocean, and Environmental Studies, 2004, Beijing, China

Abstract

Cirrus clouds are routinely observed by lidar at Chung-Li (25°N, 121°E). Their optical and microphysical properties are investigated by the height and temperature distributions, optical thickness, extinction, and depolarization ratios. Cirrus clouds with optical thickness smaller than 0.03, which are classified as subvisual cirrus clouds, have high probability of occurrence. Thin cirrus clouds have their optical thickness exponentially correlates with temperature in the region of -60 to -80C. Depolarization ratio is an important property of cirrus clouds. Although depolarization ratio for ice particle is large, vanishing depolarization ratios have been found for some clouds as high as 12 km. Depolarization ratio for all cirrus clouds distributed widely, and thin cirrus clouds near the tropopause above 16 km seem to have limited depolarization ratios. The microphysics of ice particles is discussed.

Citation Download Citation

J. B. Nee, C. W. Chian, and W. N. Chen "Lidar studies of the microphysical and optical properties of thin cirrus clouds (Invited Paper)", Proc. SPIE 5832, Optical Technologies for Atmospheric, Ocean, and Environmental Studies, (12 May 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.619513

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