Using multi-wavelength Mie–Raman lidar to measure low-level cloud properties

Abstract

Because clouds can result in a warming or a cooling effect according to their characteristics and altitudes, they have a significant influence on the climate system and a better understanding of cloud properties can improve weather forecasts and global climate models. Mie and Raman lidars have been proven to be very useful remote sensing tools to measure low-level cloud properties and locations. In this paper, low-level cloud boundary (top and base), temperature, extinction coefficients, optical depth (OD) and lidar ratio are obtained by combining Mie, rotational Raman (RR) and vibrational Raman (VR) techniques. These results of low-level cloud properties measured by the Hampton University (HU) Mie-Rotational-Vibrational Raman Lidar describe the relation between cloud lidar ratio and temperature, the relation between cloud lidar ratio and OD and the relation between cloud OD and temperature. The relationship between cloud OD and cloud lidar ratios is relatively strong, while the relationship between cloud lidar ratios and temperature difference of cloud base and top (DCBT) and between DCBT and cloud OD is relatively weak. These quantitative analyses of simultaneous measurements can improve the understanding of low-level cloud effects of radiative transfer.