Satellite determination of stratus cloud microphysical properties

Abstract

Satellite measurements of liquid water path from SSM/I, broadband albedo from ERBE, and cloud characteristics from ISCCP are used to study stratus regions. An average cloud liquid water path of 0.120 ± 0.032 kg m-2 is derived by dividing the average liquid water path for stratus areas by the fractional area coverage of cloud in the region. The diurnal range in this average cloud liquid water path is about 25%. Stratus cloud liquid water is positively correlated with cloud amount and is negatively correlated with low cloud-top temperature. Cloud liquid water path (LWP) and cloud albedo measurements are used to derive an effective droplet radius using the plane-parallel cloud albedo model of Slingo. -from Authors