0000000000854825

AUTHOR

Fanny Finger

Spectral optical layer properties of cirrus from collocated airborne measurements – a feasibility study

Abstract. Spectral optical layer properties of cirrus are derived from simultaneous and vertically collocated measurements of spectral upward and downward solar irradiance above and below the cloud layer and concurrent in situ microphysical sampling. From the irradiance data spectral transmissivity, absorptivity, reflectivity, and cloud top albedo of the observed cirrus layer are obtained. At the same time microphysical properties of the cirrus were sampled. The close collocation of the radiative and microphysical measurements, above, beneath and inside the cirrus, is obtained by using a research aircraft (Learjet 35A) in tandem with a towed platform called AIRTOSS (AIRcraft TOwed Sensor Sh…

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A tandem approach for collocated in-situ measurements of microphysical and radiative cirrus properties

Abstract. Microphysical and radiation measurements were collected with the unique AIRcraft TOwed Sensor Shuttle (AIRTOSS) – Learjet tandem platform. It is a combination of a Learjet 35A research aircraft and an instrumented aerodynamic body, which can be detached from and retracted back to the aircraft during flight. Both platforms are equipped with radiative, cloud microphysical, trace gas (CO, N2O, O3 and H2O) and meteorological instruments to study the inhomogeneity of cirrus as well as other layer clouds. Sophisticated numerical flow simulations were conducted in advance in order to optimally integrate a Cloud Combination Probe (CCP) inside the AIRTOSS. The tandem platform was used for …

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A tandem approach for collocated measurements of microphysical and radiative cirrus properties

Microphysical and radiation measurements were collected with the novel AIRcraft TOwed Sensor Shuttle (AIRTOSS) – Learjet tandem platform. The platform is a combination of an instrumented Learjet 35A research aircraft and an aerodynamic bird, which is detached from and retracted back to the aircraft during flight via a steel wire with a length of 4000 m. Both platforms are equipped with radiative, cloud microphysical, trace gas, and meteorological instruments. The purpose of the development of this tandem set-up is to study the inhomogeneity of cirrus as well as other stratiform clouds. Sophisticated numerical flow simulations were conducted in order to optimally integrate an axially asymmet…

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