Cloud Properties Over the North Slope of Alaska: A Comparison of Ground-Based and Space-Based Retrievals

Storvold, R.(a), Marty, C.(a), Xiong, X.(b), Stamnes, K.H.(c), and Zak, B.D.(d), University of Alaska Fairbanks (a), QSS group Inc. (b), Stevens Institute of Technology (c), Sandia National Laboratories (d)
Twelfth Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Science Team Meeting

In the Arctic there is a large seasonal variability in cloud cover, cloud base height, and cloud liquid water content. Cloud properties above the ARM/NSA CART site in Barrow are retrieved using a suite of different instruments and retrieval techniques. Daily and monthly averages of the cloud properties are derived for a full annual cycle using data from LIDAR, Whole Sky Imager, Cloud Radar, Micro Wave Radiometer, and Broadband Radiometer instruments. The cloud properties retrieved from these ground-based instruments are compared with each other and with cloud properties derived from AVHRR data. We will also compare these results with the new ISCCP dataset because the old ISCCP data set had large errors at high latitudes. Instruments and retrieval algorithms are usually developed for mid-latitudes and will often fail under the extreme conditions experienced during the arctic winter. It is therefore important to improve and verify their performance under arctic conditions. Accurate parameterization of cloud properties in the Arctic is vital for improving the performance of climate models at high latitudes.

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