An Evaluation of a 94-GHz Radar for Remote Sensing of Cloud Properties

• DOI: 10.1175/1520-0426(1995)012<0201:aeoagr>2.0.co;2
• Publication Date: 2002-10-11T17:45:49Z
• Authors: E. E. Clothiaux; M. A. Miller; B. A. Albrecht; T. P. Ackerman; J. Verlinde; D. M. Babb; R. M. Peters; W. J. Syrett
• Keywords: Cirrus; Liquid water content; Cloud top

The performance of a 94-GHz radar is evaluated for variety cloud conditions. Descriptions the hardware, signal processing, and calibration provide an overview radar's capabilities. An important component processing application two cloud-mask schemes to data objective estimates boundaries detect significant returns that would otherwise be discarded if simple threshold method delectability was applied return power. Realistic profiles atmospheric pressure, temperature, water vapor are used in radiative transfer model address clear-sky attenuation. A physically relevant study beam extinction backscattering by clouds attempted modeling drop size distributions with gamma distribution over range number concentrations, particle mean diameters, shape factors; liquid contents diameters reported literature analyzed this context. Results observations structures, including marine strato- cumulus, cirrus, stratus cirrus associated midlatitude cyclone described.