A Lidar and Backscatter Sonde Measurement Campaign at Table Mountain during February–March 1997: Observations of Cirrus Clouds

Abstract

Results from a measurement campaign performed at Table Mountain Facility/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology (34.38°N, 117.68°W, 2280 m ASL) are presented. Between 19 February and 18 March 1997 more than 400 h worth of lidar data were acquired and four backscatter sondes were launched. About 50% of the observations show the presence of cirrus clouds at altitudes close to and below the tropopause. Of these clouds 80% are characterized as subvisual with optical depths below 0.03 at a wavelength of 532 nm. Simple geometrical considerations lead to cloud spatial scales of 0.31 km vertically and 7.5 km horizontally, respectively. Deviations from color ratio values derived on the basis of geometrical optics are interpreted as small particle signatures. Comparing backscatter ratio profiles observed concurrently by three aerosol lidars, mean deviations of about 10% are found.