Sensitivity of depolarized lidar signals to cloud and aerosol particle properties

ORAL

Abstract

Measurements from depolarized lidars provide a promising method to retrieve both cloud and aerosol properties, which play an important role in the modeling of the global atmospheric system and in the forecasting of climate, and thus can help prevent meteorological disasters. For depolarization study of space- borne lidars, e.g., the upcoming CALIPSO lidar, multiple scattering must be included in the analysis. Monte Carlo simulation is a powerful approach to investigate the multiple scattering, especially for multi-layer clouds and/or aerosols. Monte Carlo calculations are carried out to investigate the sensitivity of lidar backscattering depolarization to cloud and aerosol properties. Lidar parameters are chosen to simulate those of the CALIPSO lidar. It is demonstrated that besides thermodynamic cloud phase, the depolarized lidar signal may provide additional information on ice particle shapes as well as aerosol particle shapes and types. Additionally, for the multi- layer case involving both ice clouds and aerosols, the depolarized lidar contains information that can help identify particle properties of each layer.

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Authors

  • Yu You

  • George Kattawar

  • Ping Yang

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston

  • Nilanjan Das

    Dept. of Physics, ESFM-IPN, Mexico City, Dept. of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A\&M University, Southeast Missouri State University, Departamento de Fisica, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Nunez, Argentina, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A\&M University, University of Houston, Denison U., Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory, AdAstra Rocket Company, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Department of Physics, Texas State Unv. - San Marcos, Rice U., Texas State University - San Marcos, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Gloucester, MA, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, National Insitute of Standards \& Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, Texas A\&M University, College Station, TX, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials, University of Houston, Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston, University of Houston, University of Idaho, Department of Physics, Istanbul Technical University, University of California at Davis, Physics Department, University of South Florida, FL 33620, Physics Department, Texas A\&M University, TX 77843, Center for Studies in Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, TcSUH, University of Houston, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston