NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Do Fractal Models of Clouds Produces the Right 3D Radiative Effects?Stochastic fractal models of clouds are often used to study 3D radiative effects and their influence on the remote sensing of cloud properties. Since it is important that the cloud models produce a correct radiative response, some researchers require the model parameters to match observed cloud properties such as scale-independent optical thickness variability. Unfortunately, matching these properties does not necessarily imply that the cloud models will cause the right 3D radiative effects. First, the matched properties alone only influence the 3D effects but do not completely determine them. Second, in many cases the retrieved cloud properties have been already biased by 3D radiative effects, and so the models may not match the true real clouds. Finally, the matched cloud properties cannot be considered independent from the scales at which they have been retrieved. This paper proposes an approach that helps ensure that fractal cloud models are realistic and produce the right 3D effects. The technique compares the results of radiative transfer simulations for the model clouds to new direct observations of 3D radiative effects in satellite images.
Document ID
20020010576
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Varnai, Tamas
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Catonsville, MD United States)
Marshak, Alexander
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Catonsville, MD United States)
Einaudi, Franco
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Meeting Information
Meeting: AGU Spring Meeting
Location: Boston, MA
Country: United States
Start Date: May 29, 2001
End Date: June 2, 2001
Sponsors: American Geophysical Union
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available