Cirrus Cloud Properties Derived from High Spectral Resolution Infrared Spectrometry during FIRE II. Part III: Ground-Based HIS Results

Abstract

During FIRE II, cirrus clouds were observed in the wavelength range 3?19, µm with two High Resolution Interferometer Sounders as described in the Part I companion paper. One, known as AC-HIS, was mounted on the NASA ER-2 aircraft in order to look down on the clouds; these results are described in the Part II companion paper. The other, GB-HIS, also known as the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI), was ground based. The AERI observations have been simulated, assuming scattering from spherical ice particles, using a single-layer doubling model for the cloud, for two atmospheric windows at 700?1250 and 2650?3000 cm?1. The second of these windows is affected by scattered sunlight, which has been included in the calculations. The sensitivity of the cloud signal to quantities such as the ice water path (IWP) and effective radius (reff) have been determined. Using the cloud model, best fits have been derived for IWP and reff, for both windows individually and together. Possible errors in these derivations have been investigated.