|
Annual Cycle of Arctic Cloud Statistics from Lidar and Radar at SHEBA |
NOAA/ETL, NOAA/ETL, Science and Technology Corp., Science and Technology Corp.
jintrieri@etl.noaa.gov
Arctic cloud occurrence and structure statistics for one year are derived from lidar and radar measurements obtained during the SHEBA project. The combination of these two unique instruments provides the most comprehensive data set to date on Arctic cloud properties. We present a combined lidar-radar data set documenting cloud occurrence, cloud base and top heights, and number of cloud layers. In this one-year observational study, clouds were prevalent ~80 % of the time with the greatest occurrences and lowest bases present during the summer season. The polar dark season, up until now wholly undocumented, showed an average cloud amount of approximately 70%.
Lidar observations of liquid water phase in the Arctic are presented revealing for the first time that liquid is prevalent throughout most of the year on average of 73%. But perhaps the most significant results are the high percentages of water phase occurrence present even during the coldest, darkest winter months up to heights of 6 km and down to temperatures as low as -34 C. Water phase occurrence and their relationship to temperature during each month are also presented and discussed.
