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The 27-28 October 1986 FIRE IFO cirrus case study: Comparison of satellite and aircraft derived particle sizeTheoretical calculations predict that cloud reflectance in near infrared windows such as those at 1.6 and 2.2 microns should give lower reflectances than at visible wavelengths. The reason for this difference is that ice and liquid water show significant absorption at those wavelengths, in contrast to the nearly conservative scattering at wavelengths shorter than 1 micron. In addition, because the amount of absorption scales with the path length of radiation through the particle, increasing cloud particle size should lead to decreasing reflectances at 1.6 and 2.2 microns. Measurements at these wavelengths to date, however, have often given unpredicted results. Twomey and Cocks found unexpectedly high absorption (factors of 3 to 5) in optically thick liquid water clouds. Curran and Wu found expectedly low absorption in optically thick high clouds, and postulated the existence of supercooled small water droplets in place of the expected large ice particles. The implications of the FIRE data for optically thin cirrus are examined.
Document ID
19900018969
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Wielicki, Bruce A. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA., United States)
Suttles, J. T. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA., United States)
Heymsfield, Andrew J. (National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder, CO., United States)
Welch, Ronald M. (South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City., United States)
Spinhirne, James D. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD., United States)
Wu, Man-Li C. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD., United States)
Starr, David (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD., United States)
Parker, Lindsay (Planning Research Corp. Hampton, VA., United States)
Arduini, Robert F. (Planning Research Corp. Hampton, VA., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: FIRE Science Results 1989
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
90N28285
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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