A new cloud-top height retrieval method is proposed by using polarizing remote sensing. In cloudy conditions, it shows that, in purple and blue bands, linear polarizing radiance at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) is mainly contributed by Rayleigh scattering of the atmosphere's molecules above cloud, and the contribution by cloud reflection and aerosol scattering can be neglected. With such characteristics, the basis principle and method of cloud-top height retrieval using polarizing remote sensing are presented in detail, and tested by the polarizing remote sensing data of POLDER. The satellite-derived cloud-top height product can not only show the distribution of global cloud-top height, but also obtain the cloud-top height distribution of moderate-scale meteorological phenomena like hurricanes and typhoons. This new method is promising to become the operational algorithm for cloud-top height retrieval for POLDER and the future polarizing remote sensing satellites.

Date Published: 28 October 2006
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 6419, Geoinformatics 2006: Remotely Sensed Data and Information, 641922 (28 October 2006); doi: 10.1117/12.713397

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6419:
Geoinformatics 2006: Remotely Sensed Data and Information
Liangpei Zhang; Xiaoling Chen, Editor(s)