Visible and Near-lR Remote Sensing of Cloud Optical Thickness and Droplet Radius from Satellite, Aircraft, and Ground Based Measurements During ASTEX

S.Platnick, FPJ Valero, P. Pilewskie, and A. Bucholtz
NASA Ames Research Center
Moffett Field, CA 94035
R. Ferek and A. Rangno
Atmospheric Sciences Department
AK-40
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195


ABSTRACT



Retrieval of cloud optical thickness and effective droplet radius are made on a uniform stratus deck in the vicinity of Santa Maria during an overpass of NOAA-12 on 12 June 1992. The remote technique makes use of atmospheric optical depths derived from instrumentation aboard the NASA ER-2 and NCAR Electra to correct for the atmosphere above cloud top. Concurrent hemispheric transmission measurements from the Electra and from the ground on Santa Maria, along with bidirectional transmission measurements on the ground are used to retrieve optical thickness and compared with the satellite derived results. In situ microphysical data collected on the University of Washington C-131 is compared with the inferred results.



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