Combined microwave and optical remote sensing of clouds: a review

摘要

Joint cloud remote sensing research using radar, lidar, andnpassive optical and microwave techniques began over 25 years ago, notnlong after the development of field-worthy laser systems. Concurrentnfield measurements of thunderstorm clouds and anvils were made in 1970nby a polarization ruby (0.69 μm) lidar transported from New YorknUniversity and a scanning 10-cm radar system from the South DakotanSchool of Mines and Technology near Rapid City. At about the same time,na program was initiated at the NOAA Wave Propagation Laboratory innBoulder, CO, primarily from laser eye-safety concerns, to coalign anK-band radar with a scanning mirror assembly used to point the lasernbeam. Although polarization lidar findings from this early researchnphase were published (1), serious intercomparisons with the radar datanwere not attempted. However, since that time the multiple remote sensornapproach has steadily gained acceptance in the cloud physics researchncommunity with the recognition of the synergistic qualities of diverse,nmultiwavelength datasets. Examples of the integration of active andnpassive optical and microwave remote sensing methods, which currentlynconstitute a major meteorological research emphasis, as applied to cloudnresearch programs are reviewed