Toward autonomous surface-based infrared remote sensing of polar clouds: cloud-height retrievals

Rowe, Penny M.; Cox, Christopher J.; Walden, Von P.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3641-2016

Articles | Volume 9, issue 8

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3641-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3641-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 9, issue 8

Research article

|

09 Aug 2016

Research article |

| 09 Aug 2016

Toward autonomous surface-based infrared remote sensing of polar clouds: cloud-height retrievals

Penny M. Rowe, Christopher J. Cox, and Von P. Walden

Data sets

Simulated Spectra for Autonomous Arctic Infrared Observer C. Cox, P. Rowe, and V. P. Walden https://doi.org/10.5065/D61J97TT

Computer codes for creating cloudy spectra DISORT https://github.com/prowe12

Short summary

Clouds play an important role in the rapid climate change occurring in polar regions, yet cloud measurements are challenging in such harsh, remote environments. Here we explore how well a proposed low-power infrared spectrometer, which would be highly portable, could be used to determine cloud height. Using simulated data, we estimate retrieval accuracy, finding that such an instrument would be able to constrain cloud height, particular for low, thick clouds, which are common in polar region.