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Vertical Structure of Ice Cloud Layers From CloudSat and CALIPSO Measurements and Comparison to NICAM SimulationsThe shape of the vertical profile of ice cloud layers is examined using 4 months of CloudSat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) global measurements taken on January, April, July, and October 2007. Ice clouds are selected using temperature profiles when the cloud base is located above the 253K temperature level. The obtained ice water content (IWC), effective radius, or extinction coefficient profiles are normalized by their layer mean values and are expressed in the normalized vertical coordinate, which is defined as 0 and 1 at the cloud base and top heights, respectively. Both CloudSat and CALIPSO observations show that the maximum in the IWC and extinction profiles shifts toward the cloud bottom, as the cloud depth increases. In addition, clouds with a base reaching the surface in a high-latitude region show that the maximum peak of the IWC and extinction profiles occurs near the surface, which is presumably due to snow precipitation. CloudSat measurements show that the seasonal difference in normalized cloud vertical profiles is not significant, whereas the normalized cloud vertical profile significantly varies depending on the cloud type and the presence of precipitation. It is further examined if the 7 day Nonhydrostatic Icosahedral Atmospheric Model (NICAM) simulation results from 25 December 2006 to 1 January 2007 generate similar cloud profile shapes. NICAM IWC profiles also show maximum peaks near the cloud bottom for thick cloud layers and maximum peaks at the cloud bottom for low-level clouds near the surface. It is inferred that oversized snow particles in the NICAM cloud scheme produce a more vertically inhomogeneous IWC profile than observations due to quick sedimentation.
Document ID
20140006010
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Ham, Seung-Hee
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Sohn, Byung-Ju
(Seoul National Univ. Korea, Republic of)
Kato, Seiji
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Satoh, Masaki
(Tokyo Univ. Chiba, Japan)
Date Acquired
May 21, 2014
Publication Date
September 1, 2013
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 118
Issue: 17
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Report/Patent Number
NF1676L-16251
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 921266.04.07.07
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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