Some Aircraft Observations of the Scattering Properties of Ice Crystals

Abstract

Aircraft?borne radiometer measurements made within three cirrus cloud layers are presented together with associated in situ cloud microphysical data. The angular variation of the observed shortwave radiances is simulated using a Monte Carlo multiple-scattering model, making use of a number of scattering phase functions, both theoretical and experimental. It is found that, in general, the laboratory-measured phase functions yield the closest agreement with the aircraft radiances.