Ice cloud backscatter study and comparison with CALIPSO and MODIS satellite data. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • An invariant imbedding T-matrix (II-TM) method is used to calculate the single-scattering properties of 8-column aggregate ice crystals. The II-TM based backscatter values are compared with those calculated by the improved geometric-optics method (IGOM) to refine the backscattering properties of the ice cloud radiative model used in the MODIS Collection 6 cloud optical property product. The integrated attenuated backscatter-to-cloud optical depth (IAB-ICOD) relation is derived from simulations using a CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite) lidar simulator based on a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model. By comparing the simulation results and co-located CALIPSO and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) observations, the non-uniform zonal distribution of ice clouds over ocean is characterized in terms of a mixture of smooth and rough ice particles. The percentage of the smooth particles is approximately 6% and 9% for tropical and midlatitude ice clouds, respectively.

published proceedings

  • Opt Express

author list (cited authors)

  • Ding, J., Yang, P., Holz, R. E., Platnick, S., Meyer, K. G., Vaughan, M. A., Hu, Y., & King, M. D.

citation count

  • 22

complete list of authors

  • Ding, Jiachen||Yang, Ping||Holz, Robert E||Platnick, Steven||Meyer, Kerry G||Vaughan, Mark A||Hu, Yongxiang||King, Michael D

publication date

  • January 2016