Scanning Polarimeter Research Articles

Demonstration of snapshot imaging polarimeter using modified Savart polariscopes.

In an earlier publication, [Appl. Opt.51, 5791 (2012)] we demonstrated by theoretical analysis that a snapshot imaging polarimeter using modified Savart polariscopes (MSP-SIP) is comparable in carrier frequency, signal-to-noise ratio, and spatial resolution to a snapshot imaging polarimeter using conventional Savart polariscopes. In this investigation, numerical simulation is used to demonstrate the feasibility of MSP-SIP and investigate the limitation of the filtration and the Fourier analysis decoupling the polarization information encoded through the spatial modulation. In addition, a laboratory experiment is conducted to demonstrate the validity of MSP-SIP. The MSP-SIP operates on the principle of encoding polarization information within the spatial modulation of the image. This unique technology allows all Stokes parameters to be simultaneously recorded from every spatial position in an image with a single integration period of the imaging system. The device contains no moving parts and requires no scanning, allowing it to acquire data without the motion artifacts normally associated with a scanning polarimeter. In addition to snapshot imaging and static (no moving parts) capabilities, image processing is simple, and the device is compact and miniature. Therefore, we believe that MSP-SIP will be useful in many applications, such as remote sensing and bioscience.

Static subminiature snapshot imaging polarimeter using spatial modulation

The spatially modulated snapshot imaging polarimeter can acquire the image and two-dimensional state of polarization using the spatial carrier fringe to encode the full Stokes vectors in a single interference image. It can be used in space exploration, earth observation and detection of biological medicine, land surface and oceans. In an earlier publication, we demonstrated by theoretical analysis that the spatially modulated snapshot imaging polarimeter using modified Savart polariscopes (MSPSIP) is comparable in carrier frequency, signal-to-noise ratio, and spatial resolution to a spatially modulated snapshot imaging polarimeter using conventional Savart polariscopes. In this investigation, the numerical simulation is used to demonstrate theoretical analysis and the feasibility of MSPSIP. Moreover, a geometric ray model is developed to explain the principle and scheme of MSPSIP and derive the expressions of interference intensities. Moreover, a laboratory experiment is conducted to demonstrate the validity of MSPSIP. In addition, we analyze that the interference intensity varies with the direction of polarization analyzer. This investigation enriches the study on MSPSIP and provides a theoretical and practical guidance for study, design, modulation, experiment and engineering of MSPSIP. Furthermore, the MSPSIP operates based on the principle of encodeding polarization information within the spatial modulation of the image. This unique technology allows all Stokes parameters to be simultaneously recorded from each spatial position in an image with a single integration period of the imaging system. The device contains no moving parts and requires no scanning, allowing it to acquire data without the motion artifacts normally associated with scanning polarimeter. In addition to having snapshot imaging and static (no moving parts) capabilities, image processing is simple, and the device is compact, and miniature. Therefore, we believe that MSPSIP will be useful in many applications, such as remote sensing and bioscience.

Combined Atmospheric and Ocean Profiling from an Airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar

First of its kind combined atmospheric and ocean profile data were collected by the recently upgraded NASA Langley Research Center’s (LaRC) High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-1) during the 17 July – 7 August 2014 Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research Experiment (SABOR). This mission sampled over a region that covered the Gulf of Maine, open-ocean near Bermuda, and coastal waters from Virginia to Rhode Island. The HSRL-1 and the Research Scanning Polarimeter from NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies collected data onboard the NASA LaRC King Air aircraft and flight operations were closely coordinated with the Research Vessel Endeavor that made in situ ocean optical measurements. The lidar measurements provided profiles of atmospheric backscatter and particulate depolarization at 532nm, 1064nm, and extinction (532nm) from approximately 9km altitude. In addition, for the first time HSRL seawater backscatter, depolarization, and diffuse attenuation data at 532nm were collected and compared to both the ship measurements and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (NASA MODIS-Aqua) satellite ocean retrievals.

Photopolarimetric retrievals of snow properties

Abstract. Polarimetric observations of snow surfaces, obtained in the 410–2264 nm range with the Research Scanning Polarimeter onboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft, are analyzed and presented. These novel measurements are of interest to the remote sensing community because the overwhelming brightness of snow plagues aerosol and cloud retrievals based on airborne and spaceborne total reflection measurements. The spectral signatures of the polarized reflectance of snow are therefore worthwhile investigating in order to provide guidance for the adaptation of algorithms currently employed for the retrieval of aerosol properties over soil and vegetated surfaces. At the same time, the increased information content of polarimetric measurements allows for a meaningful characterization of the snow medium. In our case, the grains are modeled as hexagonal prisms of variable aspect ratios and microscale roughness, yielding retrievals of the grains' scattering asymmetry parameter, shape and size. The results agree with our previous findings based on a more limited data set, with the majority of retrievals leading to moderately rough crystals of extreme aspect ratios, for each scene corresponding to a single value of the asymmetry parameter.

Liquid water cloud properties during the Polarimeter Definition Experiment (PODEX)

Abstract We present retrievals of water cloud properties from the measurements made by the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) during the Polarimeter Definition Experiment (PODEX) held between January 14 and February 6, 2013. The RSP was onboard the high-altitude NASA ER-2 aircraft based at NASA Dryden Aircraft Operation Facility in Palmdale, California. The retrieved cloud characteristics include cloud optical thickness, effective radius and variance of cloud droplet size distribution derived using a parameter-fitting technique, as well as the complete droplet size distribution function obtained by means of Rainbow Fourier Transform. Multi-modal size distributions are decomposed into several modes and the respective effective radii and variances are computed. The methodology used to produce the retrieval dataset is illustrated on the examples of a marine stratocumulus deck off California coast and stratus/fog over California's Central Valley. In the latter case the observed bimodal droplet size distributions were attributed to two-layer cloud structure. All retrieval data are available online from NASA GISS website.

Aerosol retrieval from multiangle, multispectral photopolarimetric measurements: importance of spectral range and angular resolution

Abstract. We investigated the importance of spectral range and angular resolution for aerosol retrieval from multiangle photopolarimetric measurements over land. For this purpose, we use an extensive set of simulated measurements for different spectral ranges and angular resolutions and subsets of real measurements of the airborne Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) carried out during the PODEX and SEAC4RS campaigns over the continental USA. Aerosol retrievals performed from RSP measurements show good agreement with ground-based AERONET measurements for aerosol optical depth (AOD), single scattering albedo (SSA) and refractive index. Furthermore, we found that inclusion of shortwave infrared bands (1590 and/or 2250 nm) significantly improves the retrieval of AOD, SSA and coarse mode microphysical properties. However, accuracies of the retrieved aerosol properties do not improve significantly when more than five viewing angles are used in the retrieval.

Remote sensing of aerosol in the terrestrial atmosphere from space: new missions

The distribution and properties of atmospheric aerosols on a global scale are not well known in terms of determination of their effects on climate. This mostly is due to extreme variability of aerosol concentrations, properties, sources, and types. Aerosol climate impact is comparable to the effect of greenhouse gases, but its influence is more difficult to measure, especially with respect to aerosol microphysical properties and the evaluation of anthropogenic aerosol effect. There are many satellite missions studying aerosol distribution in the terrestrial atmosphere, such as MISR/Terra, OMI/Aura, AVHHR, MODIS/Terra and Aqua, CALIOP/CALIPSO. To improve the quality of data and climate models, and to reduce aerosol climate forcing uncertainties, several new missions are planned. The gap in orbital instruments for studying aerosol microphysics has arisen after the Glory mission failed during launch in 2011. In this review paper, we describe several planned aerosol space missions, including the Ukrainian project Aerosol-UA that obtains data using a multi-channel scanning polarimeter and wide-angle polarimetric camera. The project is designed for remote sensing of the aerosol microphysics and cloud properties on a global scale.

Retrieval of aerosol optical properties over a vegetation surface using multi-angular, multi-spectral, and polarized data

An algorithm to retrieve aerosol optical properties using multi-angular, multi-spectral, and polarized data without a priori knowledge of the land surface was developed. In the algorithm, the surface polarized reflectance was estimated by eliminating the atmospheric scattering from measured polarized reflectance at 1640 nm. A lookup table (LUT) and an iterative method were adopted in the algorithm to retrieve the aerosol optical thickness (AOT, at 665 nm) and the Angstrom exponent (computed between the AOTs at 665 and 865 nm). Experiments were performed in Tianjin to verify the algorithm. Data were provided by a newly developed airborne instrument, the Advanced Atmosphere Multi-angle Polarization Radiometer (AMPR). The AMPR measurements over the target field agreed well with the nearby ground-based sun photometer. An algorithm based on Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) measurements was introduced to validate the observational measurements along a flight path over Tianjin. The retrievals were consistent between the two algorithms. The AMPR algorithm shows potential in retrieving aerosol optical properties over a vegetation surface.

Soil moisture inversion from aircraft passive microwave observations during SMEX04 using a single-frequency algorithm

Soil moisture plays a key role in global water cycles. In the study, soil moisture retrievals from airborne microwave radiometer observations using a single-frequency algorithm were presented. The algorithm is based on a simplified radiative transfer (tau-omega) model and the influence of both the roughness and vegetation is combined into a single parameter in the algorithm. The microwave polarization difference index (MPDI) is used to eliminate the effects of temperature. Then soil moisture is obtained through a nonlinear iterative procedure by making the absolute value of the differences between the simulated and observed MPDI minimum. The algorithm was validated with aircraft passive microwave data from the Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSR) at the Arizona during the Soil Moisture Experiment 2004 (SMEX04). The results show that the soil moisture retrieved by the algorithm is in good agreement with ground measurements with a small bias and an overall accuracy of 0.037m3m−3.

Remote sensing of ice crystal asymmetry parameter using multi-directional polarization measurements – Part 2: Application to the Research Scanning Polarimeter

Abstract. A new method to retrieve ice cloud asymmetry parameters from multi-directional polarized reflectance measurements is applied to measurements of the airborne Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) obtained during the CRYSTAL-FACE campaign in 2002. The method assumes individual hexagonal ice columns and plates serve as proxies for more complex shapes and aggregates. The closest fit is searched in a look-up table of simulated polarized reflectances computed for cloud layers that contain individual, randomly oriented hexagonal columns and plates with a virtually continuous selection of aspect ratios and distortion. The asymmetry parameter, aspect ratio and distortion of the hexagonal particle that leads to the best fit with the measurements are considered the retrieved values. Two cases of thick convective clouds and two cases of thinner anvil cloud layers are analyzed. Median asymmetry parameters retrieved by the RSP range from 0.76 to 0.78, and are generally smaller than those currently assumed in most climate models and satellite retrievals. In all cases the measurements indicate roughened or distorted ice crystals, which is consistent with previous findings. Retrieved aspect ratios in three of the cases range from 0.9 to 1.6, indicating compact particles dominate the cloud-top shortwave radiation. Retrievals for the remaining case indicate plate-like ice crystals with aspect ratios around 0.3. The RSP retrievals are qualitatively consistent with the CPI images obtained in the same cloud layers. Retrieved asymmetry parameters are compared to those determined in situ by the Cloud Integrating Nephelometer (CIN). For two cases, the median values of asymmetry parameter retrieved by CIN and RSP agree within 0.01, while for the two other cases RSP asymmetry parameters are about 0.03–0.05 greater than those obtained by the CIN. Part of this bias might be explained by vertical variation of the asymmetry parameter or ice shattering on the CIN probe, or both.

Uncertainty and interpretation of aerosol remote sensing due to vertical inhomogeneity

We have built an aerosol retrieval algorithm which combines the Look Up Table (LUT) and least squares fitting methods. The algorithm is based on the multi-angle multi-wavelength polarized reflectance at the Top Of the Atmosphere (TOA) measured by the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). The aerosol state parameters are the aerosol particle effective radius, effective variance, complex index of refraction, and aerosol column number density. Monomodal aerosol size distribution is assumed. The Cost Function (CF) of the least squares fitting is designed in consideration of the RSP instrumental characteristics. The aerosol retrieval algorithm inherently assumes one layer of aerosols within the atmosphere. Synthetic polarized radiance data at the TOA have been created assuming either one or two layers of aerosols using the vector radiative transfer code based on successive order of scattering method. Test cases for one-layer aerosol systems show great performance. Around 90% of the total 1200 test cases have CF values smaller than 50. For these cases, the correlation coefficients of the input and retrieved parameters are generally around or larger than 0.98. The effective variance is slightly worse with the correlation coefficient of 0.76938. On the other hand, test cases for two-layer aerosol systems show that only 50% of the total (also 1200) tested cases have final CFs smaller than 50. Among these successful cases (CF≤50), the retrieved optical depth can still be interpreted as the total column optical depth, though the correlation coefficient is decreased in comparison with the one-layer aerosol cases. We propose to interpret other retrieved aerosol parameters as the average of corresponding parameters for each layer weighted by its optical depth at 865nm. The retrieved effective radius and complex refractive index can be explained by this scheme (correlation coefficient around 0.9). The effective variance, however, shows decreased performance with the correlation coefficient of 0.46421. This may be due to the strong nonlinearity dependence of the scattering properties on the effective variance.

Accuracy assessments of cloud droplet size retrievals from polarized reflectance measurements by the research scanning polarimeter

We present an algorithm for the retrieval of cloud droplet size distribution parameters (effective radius and variance) from the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) measurements. The RSP is an airborne prototype for the Aerosol Polarimetery Sensor (APS), which was on-board of the NASA Glory satellite. This instrument measures both polarized and total reflectance in 9 spectral channels with central wavelengths ranging from 410 to 2260nm. The cloud droplet size retrievals use the polarized reflectance in the scattering angle range between 135° and 165°, where they exhibit the sharply defined structure known as the rain- or cloud-bow. The shape of the rainbow is determined mainly by the single scattering properties of cloud particles. This significantly simplifies both forward modeling and inversions, while also substantially reducing uncertainties caused by the aerosol loading and possible presence of undetected clouds nearby. In this study we present the accuracy evaluation of our algorithm based on the results of sensitivity tests performed using realistic simulated cloud radiation fields.

A Comparison of Snow Depth on Sea Ice Retrievals Using Airborne Altimeters and an AMSR-E Simulator

A comparison of snow depths on sea ice was made using airborne altimeters and an Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) simulator. The data were collected during the March 2006 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Arctic field campaign utilizing the NASA P-3B aircraft. The campaign consisted of an initial series of coordinated surface and aircraft measurements over Elson Lagoon, Alaska and adjacent seas followed by a series of large-scale (100 km × 50 km) coordinated aircraft and AMSR-E snow depth measurements over portions of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. This paper focuses on the latter part of the campaign. The P-3B aircraft carried the University of Colorado Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSR-A), the NASA Wallops Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) lidar altimeter, and the University of Kansas Delay-Doppler (D2P) radar altimeter. The PSR-A was used as an AMSR-E simulator, whereas the ATM and D2P altimeters were used in combination to provide an independent estimate of snow depth. Results of a comparison between the altimeter-derived snow depths and the equivalent AMSR-E snow depths using PSR-A brightness temperatures calibrated relative to AMSR-E are presented. Data collected over a frozen coastal polynya were used to intercalibrate the ATM and D2P altimeters before estimating an altimeter snow depth. Results show that the mean difference between the PSR and altimeter snow depths is -2.4 cm (PSR minus altimeter) with a standard deviation of 7.7 cm. The RMS difference is 8.0 cm. The overall correlation between the two snow depth data sets is 0.59.

Model for land surface reflectance treatment: Physical derivation, application for bare soil and evaluation on airborne and satellite measurements

For land surfaces and atmospheric aerosol characterization on the basis of satellite and airborne measurements models for surface reflection description are required. At present time for visible and infrared spectral regions semi-empirical model for surface reflection are usually used for these purposes. Due to the lack of physical basis, these models introduce a lot of uncertainties into the problem of aerosol and surface properties retrieval. In this paper we consider the possibility of using physically based models for bidirectional reflection matrix (BRM) which can be applied to the problem of simultaneous retrieval of aerosol and land surface properties. The physical model for the BRM is derived from the general solution of the electromagnetic scattering problems by random media. The equation for the reflection matrix is obtained within the far-field approximation when the ladder scattering diagrams are taken into account. To perform analytical averaging over orientation of the surface elements we assume that at different scales the surface can be considered as the Gaussian surface. We use multi-angle photopolarimetric airborne measurements of the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) and satellite POLDER (Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances) measurements to investigate the performance of the presented BRM model. The results of the comparison are discussed.

Comparison of Statistical and Multifractal Properties of Soil Moisture and Brightness Temperature From ESTAR and PSR During SGP99

Global soil moisture products are based on passive microwave sensors of brightness temperature at different frequencies, including Land C-bands. Two airborne sensors used to develop and test retrieval algorithms for soil moisture estimation are the L-band Electronically Scanned Thinned Array Radiometer (ESTAR) and the C-band Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer (PSR). In this letter, we compare the statistical and multifractal properties of soil moisture and brightness temperature from ESTAR and PSR during the Southern Great Plains Experiment in 1999. We show that differences between products are minimized at a support scale close to the satellite resolution. Then, we compare the subfootprint variabilities of each product in eight coarse domains of 25.6 × 25.6 km2. Scale-invariance and multifractal properties were found in all the three available soil moisture products, but multifractality was negligible in brightness temperature fields, implying that the nonlinear transformations in retrieval algorithms introduce the multifractal behavior in soil moisture. Subfootprint variability and the multifractal behavior for diverse wetness conditions are also different for the three products. Since discrepancies between the subfootprint variabilities of PSR and ESTAR brightness temperatures are small, the factors leading to the differences among the soil moisture products are mainly due to the level of detail of the retrieval algorithm and to the spatial variability of forcing data and parameters related to surface roughness and vegetation.

Iterative atmospheric correction scheme and the polarization color of alpine snow

Characterization of the Earth's surface is crucial to remote sensing, both to map geomorphological features and because subtracting this signal is essential during retrievals of the atmospheric constituents located between the surface and the sensor. Current operational algorithms model the surface total reflectance through a weighted linear combination of a few geometry-dependent kernels, each devised to describe a particular scattering mechanism. The information content of these measurements is overwhelmed by that of instruments with polarization capabilities: proposed models in this case are based on the Fresnel reflectance of an isotropic distribution of facets. Because of its remarkable lack of spectral contrast, the polarized reflectance of land surfaces in the shortwave infrared spectral region, where atmospheric scattering is minimal, can be used to model the surface also at shorter wavelengths, where aerosol retrievals are attempted based on well-established scattering theories.In radiative transfer simulations, straightforward separation of the surface and atmospheric contributions is not possible without approximations because of the coupling introduced by multiple reflections. Within a general inversion framework, the problem can be eliminated by linearizing the radiative transfer calculation, and making the Jacobian (i.e., the derivative expressing the sensitivity of the reflectance with respect to model parameters) available at output. We present a general methodology based on a Gauss–Newton iterative search, which automates this procedure and eliminates de facto the need of an ad hoc atmospheric correction.In this case study we analyze the color variations in the polarized reflectance measured by the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies Research Scanning Polarimeter during a survey of late-season snowfields in the High Sierra. This insofar unique dataset presents challenges linked to the rugged topography associated with the alpine environment and a likely high water content due to melting. The analysis benefits from ancillary information provided by the NASA Langley High Spectral Resolution Lidar deployed on the same aircraft.The results obtained from the iterative scheme are contrasted against the surface polarized reflectance obtained ignoring multiple reflections, via the simplistic subtraction of the atmospheric scattering contribution. Finally, the retrieved reflectance is modeled after the scattering properties of a dense collection of ice crystals at the surface. Confirming that the polarized reflectance of snow is spectrally flat would allow to extend the techniques already in use for polarimetric retrievals of aerosol properties over land to the large portion of snow-covered pixels plaguing orbital and suborbital observations.

Polarimetric retrievals of surface and cirrus clouds properties in the region affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

In 2010, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) performed several aerial surveys over the region affected by the oil spill caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon offshore platform. The instrument was deployed on the NASA Langley B200 aircraft together with the High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL), which provides information on the distribution of the aerosol layers beneath the aircraft, including an accurate estimate of aerosol optical depth.This work illustrates the merits of polarization measurements in detecting variations of ocean surface properties linked to the presence of an oil slick. In particular, we make use of the degree of linear polarization in the glint region, which is severely affected by variations in the refractive index but insensitive to the waviness of the water surface. Alterations in the surface optical properties are therefore expected to directly affect the polarization response of the RSP channel at 2264nm, where both molecular and aerosol scattering are negligible and virtually all of the observed signal is generated via Fresnel reflection at the surface. The glint profile at this wavelength is fitted with a model which can optimally estimate refractive index, wind speed and direction, together with aircraft attitude variations affecting the viewing geometry. The retrieved refractive index markedly increases over oil-contaminated waters, while the apparent wind speed is significantly lower than in adjacent uncontaminated areas, suggesting that the slick dampens high-frequency components of the ocean wave spectrum.The constraint on surface reflectance provided by the short-wave infrared channels is a cornerstone of established procedures to retrieve atmospheric aerosol microphysical parameters based on the inversion of the RSP multispectral measurements. This retrieval, which benefits from the ancillary information provided by the HSRL, was in this specific case hampered by prohibitive variability in atmospheric conditions (very inhomogeneous aerosol distribution and cloud cover). Although the results presented for the surface are essentially unaffected, we discuss the results obtained by typing algorithms in sorting the complex mix of aerosol types, and show evidence of oriented ice in cirrus clouds present in the area. In this context, polarization measurements at 1880nm were used to infer ice habit and cirrus optical depth, which was found in the subvisual/threshold-visible regime, confirming the utility of the aforementioned RSP channel for the remote sensing of even thin cold clouds.

Sensitivity of multiangle, multispectral polarimetric remote sensing over open oceans to water-leaving radiance: Analyses of RSP data acquired during the MILAGRO campaign

For remote sensing of aerosol over the ocean, there is a contribution from light scattered under water. The brightness and spectrum of this light depends on the biomass content of the ocean, such that variations in the color of the ocean can be observed even from space. Rayleigh scattering by pure sea water, and Rayleigh–Gans type scattering by plankton, causes this light to be polarized with a distinctive angular distribution. To study the contribution of this underwater light polarization to multiangle, multispectral observations of polarized reflectance over ocean, we previously developed a hydrosol model for use in underwater light scattering computations that produces realistic variations of the ocean color and the underwater light polarization signature of pure sea water. In this work we review this hydrosol model, include a correction for the spectrum of the particulate scattering coefficient and backscattering efficiency, and discuss its sensitivity to variations in colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and in the scattering function of marine particulates. We then apply this model to measurements of total and polarized reflectance that were acquired over open ocean during the MILAGRO field campaign by the airborne Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). Analyses show that our hydrosol model faithfully reproduces the water-leaving contributions to RSP reflectance, and that the sensitivity of these contributions to Chlorophyll a concentration [Chl] in the ocean varies with the azimuth, height, and wavelength of observations. We also show that the impact of variations in CDOM on the polarized reflectance observed by the RSP at low altitude is comparable to or much less than the standard error of this reflectance whereas their effects in total reflectance may be substantial (i.e. up to >30%). Finally, we extend our study of polarized reflectance variations with [Chl] and CDOM to include results for simulated spaceborne observations.

Retrieval of cloud droplet size distribution parameters from polarized reflectance measurements

We present an algorithm for retrieval of cloud droplet size distribution parameters (effective radius and variance) from the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) measurements. The RSP is an airborne prototype for the Aerosol Polarimetery Sensor (APS), which is due to be launched as part of the NASA Glory Project. This instrument measures both polarized and total reflectances in 9 spectral channels with center wavelengths ranging from 410 to 2250 nm. For cloud droplet size retrievals we utilize the polarized reflectances in the scattering angle range between 140 and 170 degrees where they exhibit rainbow. The shape of the rainbow is determined mainly by single scattering properties of the cloud particles, that simplifies the inversions and reduces retrieval uncertainties. The retrieval algorithm was tested using realistically simulated cloud radiation fields. Our retrievals of cloud droplet sizes from actual RSP measurements made during two recent field campaigns were compared with the correlative in situ observations.

A Surface-Based Imaging Method for Water Vapor and Liquid Clouds Using a Scanning Radiometer at 91 GHz

The Scanning Polarimetric Imaging RAdiometer at 91 GHz with an angular resolution of 0.5° was used to investigate the dynamics of the atmosphere. We introduced a new imaging method by continuously scanning the sky over a range of elevation angles in a fixed azimuth direction. The measurements were realized during three different situations: clear sky, sky with water clouds, and sky with cirrus clouds. In most situations, the scan direction was nearly parallel to the mean atmospheric flow. Particularly interesting structures were found in the images with water clouds. In contrast, cirrus clouds are highly transparent. Simulations of the applied imaging method helped to interpret the cloud images, particularly concerning the cloud movement. Characteristic shapes were identified as signatures of motions along the scan line, which were used to estimate the horizontal velocity of water clouds. It was also possible to estimate the integrated water vapor from the clear sky images. They allow a visualization of water vapor parcels. Some of these images contain similar signatures as the clouds, indicating advection of water vapor along the scan line. In the future, we plan to extend these measurements and to combine them with multifrequency observations.