Liquid water paths in thin stratocumulus clouds

During the VOCALS Regional Experiment held in the southeastern Pacific stratocumulus region during Oct-Nov of 2008, passive radiometers taking measurements at 22, 31, 90 and 170 GHz were deployed on the R/V Ron Brown. The 22 + 31 GHz combination has been widely applied to retrieve vertically-integrated water vapor path and cloud liquid water amounts. The 22 GHz radiative measurement in combination with the higher frequency channels should in theory provide more accurate retrievals of liquid water. This is particularly valuable when the liquid water path amounts are small. Here, we ascertain and discuss the value of the additional higher-frequency measurements for determining stratocumulus cloud liquid water paths.