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Learn how to accurately measure liquid water path using radiometers and lidar, addressing calibration errors, and ensuring robustness of the technique by introducing new methods. Comparison of different techniques provided.
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Liquid Water Path from radiometers and lidar. Nicolas Gaussiat, Anthony Illingworth and Robin Hogan Beeskow, 12 Oct 2005
Radiometers measure brightness temperatures. Tb, that are converted into optical depths, . Optical depths are linearly related LWP and VWP : kl and kv are path averaged coefficients. d is the ‘dry’ optical depth Two frequencies, two equations, two unknowns – find LWP and VWP. PROBLEM: Calibration errors, uncertainty over ‘k’ coefficients Cause errors in lwp – it can even go negative.
In clear sky conditions non-zero values of LWP are retrieved. Some values negative. SOLUTION: Add a calibration error, ‘C’ to the equations. When lidar identifies no water cloud, set LWP = 0, use this to constrain ‘C.
Assuming calibrations errors : Principe of the lidar+radiometer technique: In clear sky conditions LWP = 0: Radiometers have same perf : Radiometers have different perf : where s22 and s28 are the expected standard deviations of respectively C22 and C28.
Example :‘C’ factors reset each time no water cloud.LWP forcedto zero whenno water cloud.
Sensitivity to drift in T:old technique Add 5K to Tb (28GHz) and then to Tb(22GHz) LWP OFFSET +200 g m-2 - 60g m-2
Robustness of the new technique : One month’s data: apply 1 to 5K offsets. 5 5 NEW METHOD: Tb error 5K: introduces only 2% error in LWP 1 1 (a) old technique (b) new method
LWP error as function of time between clear sky events Error about 5-10 g m-2 10hr 1hr 6min
Comparison of three methods old remove mean lwp new before and after cloud