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Cirrus Cloud Measurements by the UAF Polarization Diversity Lidar during M-PACE

Sassen, Kenneth University of Alaska Fairbanks
Zhu, Jiang UAF

During the final week of the September-October 2004 Mixed-Phase Cloud Experiment (M-PACE) conducted in and around the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) site in Barrow, Alaska, cirrus clouds were unexpectedly prevalent. Overcoming earlier adversity, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Polarization Diversity Lidar (PDL) system captured these Arctic cirrus cloud properties at unparalleled (up to 0.1-s time and 1.5-m range) resolutions, and at two laser wavelengths (1.06 and 0.532 m).

Of particular interest is the 6-km deep cirrus cloud system that was studied by the PDL and M-PACE project aircraft on 17-18 October. The cloud initially more resembled midlatitude cirrostratus cloud with cloud tops of 10.5 km MSL, but these heights later dropped to ~6.0 km in what resembled a low-level cirrus radiatus cloud system. Thin supercooled liquid altocumulus clouds were embedded in these clouds. The properties of these and other M-PACE cirrus clouds will be illustrated and discussed.

This poster will be displayed at the ARM Science Team Meeting.