The Effect of Vertical and Horizontal Cloud Microstructure Inhomogeneities upon the Radiative Characteristics of Cloud Layers

Abstract

The previous chapters have been primarily concerned with clouds of uniform cloud microstructure. However, in Chapter 2 vertical variations of liquid water content were analyzed. It was found that the cloud radiative characteristics were primarily a function of cloud optical depth rather than cloud vertical structure. Clouds with liquid water contents which decreased with increasing cloud depth gave essentially the same results as for clouds in which the liquid water content increased with increasing cloud depth; both cases gave essentially identical results to a homogeneous cloud with an average value of liquid water content. While the bulk cloud radiative properties were invariant to vertical cloud structure, local radiative characteristics within the cloud were highly sensitive to such variations. Local cloud heating rates were shown to vary substantially with variations in cloud microstructure.