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The effects of the nonsphericity and size distribution of ice crystals on the radiative properties of cirrus cloudsHexagonal ice crystal and equivalent ice spheres have significantly different single-scattering properties. Although the extinction cross-section for spheres with equivalent surface areas is about the same as that for nonspherical ice crystals randomly oriented in space, equivalent spheres produce more forward scattering and have smaller single-scattering albedos. On the basis of broad-band radiative transfer calculations, in this note we will illustrate that the assumption that ice particles are spheres with equivalent surface areas leads to an underestimate to the solar albedo of cirrus clouds. Furthermore, we show that, for a given optical thickness, small ice particles reflect more solar flux than large ice particles. This implies that the ice crystal size distribution could be extremely important in the determination of the solar albedo of cirrus clouds due to external radiative forcing in climatic perturbation experiments. In the thermal infrared region, absorption by ice crystals predominates and the effects of the nonsphericity and size distribution of ice crystals on infrared radiative transfer appear to be secondary.
Document ID
19950033903
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Kinne, Stefan
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Liou, Kuo-Nan
(Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1989
Publication Information
Publication: Atmospheric Research
ISSN: 0169-8095
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
95A65502
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1050
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-732
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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