Abstract
A one-dimensional spectral infrared radiative transfer model has been developed for atmospheres containing cirrus clouds and absorbing gases above, below and within the cloud. The transfer model takes into consideration the inhomogeneity of the cloudy atmosphere, the gaseous absorption in scattering cloud layers and the wavenumber dependence of radiative transfer. In addition, the cirrus cloud is further divided into a number of sub-layers to account for the non-isothermal and inhomogeneous cloud characteristics. Single-scattering properties for ice crystals are calculated assuming ice cylinders 200 and 60 μm in lenght and width, respectively, randomly oriented in a horizontal plane. The spectral infrared transfer program is applied to VTPR channels of the NOAA 4 satellite to simulate upward radiances in cirrus cloud conditions.
Comparisons between satellite observed and theoretically simulated upward radiances are carried out for selected cirrus cloud cases. Incorporating atmospheric profiles obtained from radiosonde and the observed cloud information into the spectral transfer program, we show a systematic agreement between observed and computed upward radiances. Systematic reduction patterns of the upward radiance caused by the increase of the cloud ice content are clearly demonstrated for VTPR channels employing tropical and midlatitude atmospheric profiles. Having the quantitative relationships between upward radiances and ice contents, procedures are described for the inference of the cloud ice content and cloud amount. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the three cirrus cloud cases.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asano, S. (1975),On the discrete ordinates method for the radiative transfer, J. Meteor. Soc. Japan53, 92–95.
Bignell, K. J. (1970),The water-vapor infrared continuum. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc.96, 390–403.
Chandrasekhar, S.,Radiative Transfer. (Dover Publ., New York, 1950), 393 pp.
Drayson, S. R. (1971),Transmittances for use in remote soundings of the atmosphere. Space Res. XI, COSPAR,Proceedings Symposium on Remote Sounding of the Atmosphere, Leningrad, U.S.S.R., 585–592.
Heymsfield, A. J. andKnollenberg, R. G. (1972),Properties of cirrus generating cells, J. Atmos. Sci.29, 1358–1366.
Houghton, J. T. andHunt, G. E. (1969),The detection of ice clouds from remote measurements of their emission in the far infrared, Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc.96, 1–17.
Knollenberg, R. G. (1970),The optical array: An alternative to scattering or extinction for airborne particle size determination, J. Appl. Meteor.9, 86–103.
Kuhn, P. M. andWeickmann, H. K. (1969),High-altitude radiometric measurement of cirrus, J. Appl. Meteor.8, 147–154.
Liou, K. N. (1972),Light scattering by ice clouds in the visible and infrared: A theoretical study, J. Atmos. Sci.29, 524–536.
Liou, K. N. (1973a),A numerical experiment on Chandrasekhar's discrete-ordinate method for radiative transfer: Applications to cloudy and hazy atmospheres, J. Atmos. Sci.30, 1303–1326.
Liou, K. N. (1973b),Transfer of solar irradiance through cirrus cloud layers, J. Geophys. Res.78, 1409–1418.
Liou, K. N. (1974),On the radiative properties of cirrus in the window region and their influence on remote sensing of the atmosphere, J. Atmos. Sci.31, 522–532.
Liou, K. N. (1975),Applications of the discrete-ordinate method for radiative transfer to inhomogeneous aerosol atmospheres, J. Geophys. Res.80, 3434–3440.
Liou, K. N. (1977),Remote sensing of the thickness and composition of cirrus clouds from satellites, J. Appl. Meteor.16, 91–99.
McClatchey, R. A. et al. (1971),Optical properties of the atmosphere, Environmental Res. Pap.354, AFCRL.
McMillin, L. M. et al. (1973),Satellite infrared soundings from NOAA spacecraft, NOAA Tech. Rept. NESS65, 112 pp.
Platt, C. M. andGambling, D. J. (1971),Emissivity of high layer clouds by combined lidar and radiometric techniques, Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc.84, 319–333.
Shaaf, J. W. andWilliams, D. (1973),Optical constants of ice in the infrared, J. Opt. Soc. Amer63, 726–732.
Weickmann, H. K. (1949),Die Eispase in der atmosphäre, Ber. Deut. Wetterd. No. 6, 54 pp.
Weinreb, M. P. andNeuendorffer, A. C. (1973),Method to apply homogeneous path transmittance models to inhomogeneous atmosphere, J. Atmos. Sci.30, 662–666.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liou, KN., Stoffel, T.L., Feddes, R.G. et al. Radiative properties of cirrus clouds in NOAA 4 VTPR channels: Some explorations of cloud scenes from satellites. PAGEOPH 116, 1007–1029 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00874668
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00874668