THE RETRIEVAL OF CLOUD MICROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES FROM ATSR-2 AND COMPARISONS WITH THE UNIFIED MODEL

摘要

Retrievals of cirrus cloud optical thickness, particle size and calculations of ice water path using the 0.87 and 1.6μm channels of the ATSR-2 instrument are presented for a selected case study in the tropical West Pacific. Cloud top temperature and an infrared optical thickness are also retrieved under a separate scheme which uses the 11μm channel at the two views of ATSR-2. The ATSR-2 retrieved parameters from these case studies will be statistically and qualitatively compared with coincident forecasts of cloud parameters from two versions of the Met. Office Unified/Forecast Model (UM). One version is using fixed size spheres in the ice scheme, and the other using planar polycrystals. Relationships between microphys-ical parameters such as cloud top temperature and particle size will be compared between datasets.