Retrievals of liquid water path based on AMSR-E observations during AIRS II

We will describe a new satellite-based method for retrieving liquid water path (LWP) and present results for the AIRS II (Alliance Icing Research Study II) experiment. Current methods for retrieving LWP over land using satellite observations are based solely on visible and infrared observations. Microwave-based methods are complementary to visible/infrared methods because (1) they are applicable to both daytime and nighttime observations and (2) are unaffected by non-precipitating ice particles. The new method we are developing employs polarization-difference signals at 37 and 89 GHz produced by the Earth Observing System (EOS) Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer – EOS (AMSR-E) and exploits a simple radiative parameterization. LWP retrieval results for November 11, 2003 will be presented for two AMSR-E overpasses of the AIRS II study region and compared with ground-based retrieval results.