Field Tests of the Cloud-Surface Interaction Based Broken Cloud Field Optical Depth Retrieval: Results from the ARM SGP 2001 Summer-Fall NFOV Campaign

Pavloski, C.F.(a), Clothiaux, E.E.(a), Barker, H.W.(b), Marshak, A.(c), and Ackerman, T.P.(d), The Pennsylvania State University (a), Environment Canada (b), NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center (c), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (d)
Twelfth Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting

Field tests are the next logical step towards an operational version of the cloud optical depth retrieval algorithm proposed by Barker and Marshak. This algorithm has the advantage over other algorithms in that it is expected to work well for broken-cloud conditions. It requires estimates of spectral surface irradiance and nadir radiance such as those measured by the newly developed Penn State dual narrow field-of-view, hemispheric spectrometer. The summer of 2001 provided an opportunity to observe clouds at the ARM program's Southern Great Plains Facility in north-central Oklahoma using the new Penn State spectrometer. The instrument performed well, with only two brief dropout periods over a four month period. Retrieved values of cloud optical depth for overcast and broken-cloud conditions were analyzed and compared to values retrieved with other algorithms and instruments.

Note: This is the poster abstract presented at the meeting; an extended version was not provided by the author(s).