Observations of Ice in Maritime Stratiform Clouds from CALIOP/MODIS Observations

Collocated observations of MODIS imager and CALIOP Lidar provide a means for investigating the occurrence of ice in stratiform clouds in a maritime environment. CALIPO near nadir viewing measurements are used to identify the specular reflectance signature indicative of oriented ice crystals. MODIS imager and spectral observations are used to classify the cloud type observed, as well as the pdf of the effective radius of the cloud field. This paper will discuss the frequency of occurrence of oriented ice crystals in particular cloud types, including open and closed cells.