Articles | Volume 18, issue 24
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7853-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-7853-2025
Research article
 | 
22 Dec 2025
Research article |  | 22 Dec 2025

CrystalTrace: a Monte Carlo raytracing algorithm for radiative transfer in cirrus clouds with oriented ice crystals

Linda Forster, Anna Weber, and Bernhard Mayer

Model code and software

lforster/CrystalTrace: Initial release (v1.0.0) Linda Forster https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17679332

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Short summary
CrystalTrace is a Monte Carlo raytracing algorithm for simulating radiative transfer in ice clouds with different crystal shapes and orientations. Integrated into libradtran's MYSTIC solver, it enables efficient, realistic simulations of ice alongside water clouds. By computing single-scattering properties online at the crystal scale, it eliminates the need for precomputed lookup tables, improving efficiency and angular resolution for satellite, airborne, and ground-based observation retrievals.
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