Dual-polarization lidar identification of ice in a corona-producing wave cloud

Joseph A. Shaw; Nathan J. Pust

doi:10.1117/12.894893

9 September 2011 Dual-polarization lidar identification of ice in a corona-producing wave cloud

Joseph A. Shaw, Nathan J. Pust

Proceedings Volume 8160, Polarization Science and Remote Sensing V; 81600I (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.894893
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

On 5 February 2009 a colorful corona was observed when the Moon passed behind a thin wave cloud in Bozeman, Montana, USA. A dual-polarization lidar was used to determine that the diffracting particles were ice crystals, not the usually assumed liquid water droplets. Fraunhofer diffraction theory was used to estimate that the ice crystal effective diameter was 14.6 μm, much smaller than conventional ice crystals. The corona-producing cloud produced a lidar crosspolarization ratio of 0.4, confirming the presence of ice. The corona-producing cloud was located 9.5 km above mean sea level with air temperature near -60°C, thereby thermodynamically ruling out liquid water as well.

Citation Download Citation

Joseph A. Shaw and Nathan J. Pust "Dual-polarization lidar identification of ice in a corona-producing wave cloud", Proc. SPIE 8160, Polarization Science and Remote Sensing V, 81600I (9 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.894893

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