This paper presents the results of a case study using the dual-view ATSR-2 instrument to retrieve optical and microphysical parameters of cirrus clouds overlaying a variable water cloud. The proposed method utilizes the channels at 0.87 and 1.6μm in both nadir and forward views and the nadir view of the 3.7μm band. A lookup table is generated using a radiative transfer model, which is inverted using an evolutionary scatter search technique. An uncertainty analysis demonstrates the robustness of the retrieved ice cloud optical thickness and effective size, even in the presence of an optically thick water cloud below. A comparison with in-situ aircraft observations from the INCA campaign shows good agreement for these parameters.

Date Published: 18 April 2003
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 4882, Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere VII, (18 April 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.462991

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 4882:
Remote Sensing of Clouds and the Atmosphere VII
Klaus P. Schaefer; Olga Lado-Bordowsky; Adolfo Comeron; Richard H. Picard, Editor(s)