The interpretation of remotely sensed cloud properties from a model parameterization perspective

Abstract

The goals of ISCCP and FIRE are, broadly speaking, to provide methods for the retrieval of cloud properties from satellites, and to improve cloud radiation models and the parameterization of clouds in GCMs. This study suggests a direction for GCM cloud parameterizations based on analysis of Landsat and ISCCP satellite data. For low level single layer clouds it is found that the mean retrieved liquid water pathe in cloudy pixels is essentially invariant to the cloud fraction, at least in the range 0.2 - 0.8. This result is very important since it allows the cloud fraction to be estimated if the mean liquid water path of cloud in a general circulation model gridcell is known. 3 figs.

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