Cloud parameters using Ground Based Remote Sensing Systems and Satellites over urban coastal area

Determining cloud radiative and microphysical properties are very important as a means to assess their effect on earths energy balance. While MODIS and GOES have been used for estimating cloud properties, assessing cloud properties directly has been difficult due the lack of consistent ground based sensor measurements except in such established places such as the ARM site in Oklahoma. However, it is known that significant aerosol seeding from urban and/or maritime sources can modify cloud properties such as effective radius and cloud optical depth and therefore evaluation of satellite retrievals in such a unique area offers novel opportunities to assess the potential of satellite retrievals to distinguish these mechanisms In our study, we used a multi-filter rotating shadow band radiometer (MFRSR) and micro wave radiometer (MWR) to retrieve the cloud optical depth and cloud droplets effective radius . In particular, we make a statistical study during summer 2013 where water phase clouds dominate and assess the accuracy of both MODIS and GOES satellite cloud products including LWP, COD and Reff. Most importantly, we assess performance against satellite observing geometries. Much like previous studies at the ARM site, we observe significant biases in the effective radius when the solar zenith angle is too large. In addition, we show that biases are also sensitive to the LWP limiting such measurement s in assessing potential aerosol-cloud signatures Finally, we discuss preliminary aerosol-cloud interactions from our ground system where local lidar is used to assess aerosols below clouds and explore the Aerosol Cloud Index.