title: Improved retrievals of the optical properties of cirrus clouds by a combination of lidar methods.
abstract: We focus on improvement of the retrieval of optical properties of cirrus clouds by combining two lidar methods. We retrieve the cloud's optical depth by using independently the molecular backscattering profile below and above the cloud [molecular integration (MI) method] and the backscattering profile inside the cloud with an a priori effective lidar ratio [particle integration (PI) method]. When the MI method is reliable, the combined MI-PI method allows us to retrieve the optimal effective lidar ratio. We compare these results with Raman lidar retrievals. We then use the derived optimal effective lidar ratio for retrieval with the PI method for situations in which the MI method cannot be applied.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/ Laboratoire de Physique de l'Atmosphère, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de la Réunion, 97715, B.P. 7151, St. Denis, La Reunion Cedex 9, France. b.cadet@opgc.univ-bpclermont.fr
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cadet
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: Martial
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haeffelin
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Keckhut
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rechou
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldy