Parameterization for Longwave Scattering Properties of Ice Clouds with Various Habits and Size Distribution for Use in Atmospheric Models

Abstract

Abstract A parameterization for the scattering of longwave radiation by ice clouds has been developed based on spectral scattering property calculations with shapes and sizes of ice crystals. For this parameterization, the size distribution data by Fu (1996) and by Michell and Arnott (1994) are used. The shapes of ice crystal considered in this study are plate, solid column, hollow column, bullet-rosette, droxtal, aggregate, and spheroid. The properties of longwave scattering by ice crystals are presented as a function of the extinction coefficient, single-scattering albedo, and asymmetry factor. The heating rate and flux by the radiative parameterization model are calculated for wide range of ice crystal sizes, shapes, and optical thickness. The results are compared with the calculated results using a six-stream discrete ordinate scattering algorithm and Chou’s method. The new method (with various habits and size distributions) provides a good simulation of the scattering properties and cooling rate in optically thin clouds (optical thickness < 5). Depending on the inclusion of scattering by ice clouds, the errors in the calculation of the cooling rates are significantly different.Key words: Longwave radiation, ice cloud, single scattering property, parameterization and cooling rate