Using multi-wavelength Mie-Raman Lidar to measure low-level cloud properties

Abstract Because clouds can result in a warming or a cooling effect according to their characteristics and altitudes, they have a significant influence on the climate system and a better understanding of cloud properties can improve weather forecastsand global climate models. Mie and Raman lidarshave been proven to be very useful remote sensing tools to measure low-level cloud properties and locations. In this paper, low-level cloud boundary (top and base), temperature, extinction coefficients, optical depth ( OD) and lidarratio are obtained by combining Mie, rotational Raman (RR) and vibrational Raman (VR) techniques. These results of low-level cloud properties measured by the Hampton University (HU) Mie-Rotational-Vibrational Raman Lidardescribe the relation between cloud lidarratio and temperature, the relation between cloud lidarratio and ODand the relation between cloud ODand temperature. The relationship between cloud ODand cloud lidarratios is relatively strong, while the relationship between cloud lidarratios and temperature difference of cloud base and top (DCBT) and between DCBT and cloud ODis relatively weak. These quantitative analyses of simultaneous measurements can improve the understanding of low-level cloud effects of radiative transfer.