Validation of satellite retrievals of cloud microphysics and liquid water path using observations from FIRE

Abstract

Cloud effective radii (rc) and cloud liquid water path (LWP) are derived from ISCP spatially sampled satellite data and validated with ground-based pyranometer and microwave radiometer measurements taken on San Nicolas Island during the 1987 FIRE IFO. Values of re derived from the ISCCP data are also compared to values retrieved by a hybrid method that uses the combination of LWP derived from microwave measurement and optical thickness derived from GOES data. The results show that there is significant variability in cloud properties over a 100 km × 80 km area and that the values at San Nicholas Island are not necessarily representative of the surrounding cloud field. On the other hand the re values remained relatively constant in the marine stratocumulus.