Retrieval of Cirrus Radiative and Spatial Properties Using Independent Satellite Data Analysis Techniques

Abstract

Cirrus is one of the most poorly quantified clouds. As a part of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), intensive observations of cirrus clouds were taken in the autumn of 1986 over Wisconsin. During this First ISCCP Regional Experiment Cirrus Intensive Field Observation (FIRE Cirrus IFO), coordinated measurements from satellite, aircraft, and ground-based platforms were made of cirrus clouds. This paper deals with the verification of cirrus cloud information, both spatial and radiative, obtained for a 1986 FIRE cloud scene using measurements from two independent sensors onboard the NOAA-9 polar orbiting satellite. In addition to the wide variability in properties common for other types of clouds, cirrus clouds have the added complexity of transmissivity t values that span the entire possible domain 0 <= t >= 1. Thus, uncertainties exist in thin cirrus cloud amount, altitude, thickness, and optical properties as retrieved from satellite because the measured cirrus signal is affected additionally by an unknown radiation component from below.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA351155

Entities

People

  • Donald P. Wylie
  • J. W. Snow
  • James T. Bunting
  • Michael K. Griffin
  • Robert P. D'entremont

Organizations

  • Phillips Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Altitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cirrus Clouds
  • Climate Change
  • Clouds
  • Data Analysis
  • Detection
  • Ground Based
  • Measurement
  • Observation
  • Optical Properties
  • Radiation
  • Space Sciences
  • Transmissivity
  • United States
  • Wisconsin

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space