Thin clouds are the most difficult cloud type to observe. The recent availability of joint cloud products from the active remote sensing instruments aboard CloudSat and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite (CALIPSO) facilitates the study of these clouds. Using one of these joint cloud products, 2B-GEOPROF-Lidar, and a post-processing algorithm designed to find horizontally continuous thin clouds within the cloud product, the locations, length scales, and vertical distributions by length of thin clouds are determined. It is found that thin clouds vary in length from a few km to over 2900 km and tend to be longer in the tropical upper troposphere than lower in the atmosphere and at higher latitudes. In the upper troposphere between 0° and 40°N, over 20% of all thin cloud measurements in the 2B-GEOPROF-Lidar product are contributed by thin clouds that are longer than 500 km. In fact, in this latitude range, over 65% of all thin cloud measurements are contributed by clouds longer than 100 km. Also, thin cloud length and frequency differ between the four seasons in the year of data used here.

Clouds and their instantaneous effects on downward solar radiation were studied at the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo. For this purpose, visual observations of clouds, ground-based measurements performed by different radiometers, products from the polar orbiting satellites CALIPSO and CloudSat and 1-D Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) LibRadtran were used. Daytime climatology of cloud cover fraction (1958-2016) using data of hourly visual observations was carried out. The diurnal cycle of cloud cover fraction was dominated by low clouds especially by stratiform clouds. Remarkable differences in the diurnal cycles of low cumuliform and stratiform clouds were also observed. During the time period, positive trends for low cloud cover (1.6 %/decade), especially stratiform (3.1 %/decade), and cirriform cloud (0.8 %/decade) were observed, while a decreasing trend of mid-level cloud cover (-2.4%/decade) was found. Seasonal and diurnal variability of vertical profile of cloud was observed, with cloud extending to higher altitudes at night and with maximum frequency of occurrence observed in summer. In winter, low clouds prevailed. Effective cloud optical depth (ECOD), using the total transmittance at 415 nm, and instantaneous cloud effects on solar radiation at the surface, using global irradiance measurements, were estimated in synergy with LibRadtran computations. ECOD presented seasonal and diurnal variability, with maximum of mean in spring (34.4) and in the afternoon (34.2), and minimum at sunrise (25.5) and winter (26.9) for low clouds. The shortwave effects of clouds depended on solar disk condition, cloud type and cloud cover. Maximum of shortwave radiative attenuation was observed for low clouds in total overcast conditions with a median reduction of 72 % of global irradiance compared to clear sky. Median reduction of mid and high clouds was 57 % and 33 %, respectively. Enhancement effects with duration as long as 20 minutes, caused by lateral scattering, were observed in the presence of all analyzed cloud types, when the solar disk was not blocked by clouds, increasing global solar irradiance around 10% at the surface. Maximum enhancement could reach 50 % for low clouds. / Na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, foram estudadas as nuvens e seus efeitos na radiação solar. Para tanto, foram usadas observações visuais de nuvens, medições desde a superfície efetuadas por diferentes radiômetros, produtos dos satélites de órbita polar CALIPSO e CloudSat e o modelo de transferência radiativa 1-D LibRadtran. Foi desenvolvida uma climatologia para o ciclo diurno da fração de cobertura de nuvens (1958-2016) usando dados de observações visuais. O ciclo diurno da cobertura de nuvens foi dominado por nuvens baixas, especialmente as estratiformes. Observaram-se diferenças entre o ciclo diurno das nuvens baixas cumuliformes e estratiformes. Além disso, houve uma tendência de aumento da fração de cobertura de nuvens baixas (1,6 %/década), especificamente das estratiformes (3,1 %/década), e das nuvens cirriformes (0,8%/década). Por outro lado, observou-se tendência de diminuição da fração de cobertura de nuvens médias (-2,4%/década). A variabilidade sazonal e diurna do perfil vertical de nuvens foi analisada, com as nuvens atingindo maiores altitudes à noite e no verão. No inverno, as nuvens baixas predominaram. A profundidade óptica efetiva da nuvem (ECOD), usando a transmitância total em 415 nm, e os efeitos instantâneos das nuvens sobre a radiação solar, de medições de irradiância solar global, foram estimados em sinergia com cálculos feitos com o LibRadtran. ECOD apresentou variabilidade diurna e sazonal com máximo na primavera (34,4) e no período da tarde (34,2) e mínimo pela manhã, próximo ao nascer do sol (25,5) e no inverno (26,9) para nuvens baixas. O efeito radiativo de onda curta apresentou dependência com relação à obstrução do disco solar pelas nuvens, o tipo de nuvem e fração de cobertura. A atenuação máxima foi observada para nuvens baixas com o céu totalmente nublado, com valor médio de redução de 72 % da irradiância global, comparada com condições de céu claro. Medianas de redução de nuvens médias e altas foram de 57 % e 33 %, respectivamente. Foram observados efeitos de incrementos da radiação solar (enhancement) de cerca de 10 % com duração de até 20 minutos, devido ao espalhamento pelas laterais das nuvens, em presença de todos os tipos de nuvens analisados, quando o disco solar não estava obstruído. O máximo de enhancement chegou até 50 % na presença de nuvens baixas.

Clouds and their instantaneous effects on downward solar radiation were studied at the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo. For this purpose, visual observations of clouds, ground-based measurements performed by different radiometers, products from the polar orbiting satellites CALIPSO and CloudSat and 1-D Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) LibRadtran were used. Daytime climatology of cloud cover fraction (1958-2016) using data of hourly visual observations was carried out. The diurnal cycle of cloud cover fraction was dominated by low clouds especially by stratiform clouds. Remarkable differences in the diurnal cycles of low cumuliform and stratiform clouds were also observed. During the time period, positive trends for low cloud cover (1.6 %/decade), especially stratiform (3.1 %/decade), and cirriform cloud (0.8 %/decade) were observed, while a decreasing trend of mid-level cloud cover (-2.4%/decade) was found. Seasonal and diurnal variability of vertical profile of cloud was observed, with cloud extending to higher altitudes at night and with maximum frequency of occurrence observed in summer. In winter, low clouds prevailed. Effective cloud optical depth (ECOD), using the total transmittance at 415 nm, and instantaneous cloud effects on solar radiation at the surface, using global irradiance measurements, were estimated in synergy with LibRadtran computations. ECOD presented seasonal and diurnal variability, with maximum of mean in spring (34.4) and in the afternoon (34.2), and minimum at sunrise (25.5) and winter (26.9) for low clouds. The shortwave effects of clouds depended on solar disk condition, cloud type and cloud cover. Maximum of shortwave radiative attenuation was observed for low clouds in total overcast conditions with a median reduction of 72 % of global irradiance compared to clear sky. Median reduction of mid and high clouds was 57 % and 33 %, respectively. Enhancement effects with duration as long as 20 minutes, caused by lateral scattering, were observed in the presence of all analyzed cloud types, when the solar disk was not blocked by clouds, increasing global solar irradiance around 10% at the surface. Maximum enhancement could reach 50 % for low clouds. / Na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, foram estudadas as nuvens e seus efeitos na radiação solar. Para tanto, foram usadas observações visuais de nuvens, medições desde a superfície efetuadas por diferentes radiômetros, produtos dos satélites de órbita polar CALIPSO e CloudSat e o modelo de transferência radiativa 1-D LibRadtran. Foi desenvolvida uma climatologia para o ciclo diurno da fração de cobertura de nuvens (1958-2016) usando dados de observações visuais. O ciclo diurno da cobertura de nuvens foi dominado por nuvens baixas, especialmente as estratiformes. Observaram-se diferenças entre o ciclo diurno das nuvens baixas cumuliformes e estratiformes. Além disso, houve uma tendência de aumento da fração de cobertura de nuvens baixas (1,6 %/década), especificamente das estratiformes (3,1 %/década), e das nuvens cirriformes (0,8%/década). Por outro lado, observou-se tendência de diminuição da fração de cobertura de nuvens médias (-2,4%/década). A variabilidade sazonal e diurna do perfil vertical de nuvens foi analisada, com as nuvens atingindo maiores altitudes à noite e no verão. No inverno, as nuvens baixas predominaram. A profundidade óptica efetiva da nuvem (ECOD), usando a transmitância total em 415 nm, e os efeitos instantâneos das nuvens sobre a radiação solar, de medições de irradiância solar global, foram estimados em sinergia com cálculos feitos com o LibRadtran. ECOD apresentou variabilidade diurna e sazonal com máximo na primavera (34,4) e no período da tarde (34,2) e mínimo pela manhã, próximo ao nascer do sol (25,5) e no inverno (26,9) para nuvens baixas. O efeito radiativo de onda curta apresentou dependência com relação à obstrução do disco solar pelas nuvens, o tipo de nuvem e fração de cobertura. A atenuação máxima foi observada para nuvens baixas com o céu totalmente nublado, com valor médio de redução de 72 % da irradiância global, comparada com condições de céu claro. Medianas de redução de nuvens médias e altas foram de 57 % e 33 %, respectivamente. Foram observados efeitos de incrementos da radiação solar (enhancement) de cerca de 10 % com duração de até 20 minutos, devido ao espalhamento pelas laterais das nuvens, em presença de todos os tipos de nuvens analisados, quando o disco solar não estava obstruído. O máximo de enhancement chegou até 50 % na presença de nuvens baixas.

The veracity of a Radiometric Microwave Profiling Radiometer (MWRP) while mounted onboard a ship in the Arctic marine environment was assessed. The MWRP was validated against radiosonde data by calculating the RMS and bias for simultaneous measurements taken for temperature and absolute humidity profiles. The vertical resolution of the MWRP was calculated using the inter-level covariance method. Based on the comparisons, the MWRP provided reliable measurements of both temperature and absolute humidity while mounted on the CCGS Amundsen. Satellites CloudSat and Calipso were assessed over the Arctic marine cryosphere. Temperature and absolute humidity from the ECMWF-aux data product was compared with profiles from the ship based MWRP. The cloud base heights measured by the ceilometer and MWRP were compared to CloudSat and Calipso's GeoProf-lidar. Due to a large number of possible false detections, the constraints used by the GeoProf-lidar data product for cloud detection may need to be further refined.

The veracity of a Radiometric Microwave Profiling Radiometer (MWRP) while mounted onboard a ship in the Arctic marine environment was assessed. The MWRP was validated against radiosonde data by calculating the RMS and bias for simultaneous measurements taken for temperature and absolute humidity profiles. The vertical resolution of the MWRP was calculated using the inter-level covariance method. Based on the comparisons, the MWRP provided reliable measurements of both temperature and absolute humidity while mounted on the CCGS Amundsen. Satellites CloudSat and Calipso were assessed over the Arctic marine cryosphere. Temperature and absolute humidity from the ECMWF-aux data product was compared with profiles from the ship based MWRP. The cloud base heights measured by the ceilometer and MWRP were compared to CloudSat and Calipso's GeoProf-lidar. Due to a large number of possible false detections, the constraints used by the GeoProf-lidar data product for cloud detection may need to be further refined.

Midlevel clouds are observed globally and impact the general circulation through their influence on the radiation budget and their precipitation production. However, because midlevel clouds occur less frequently than high and low clouds they are relatively understudied. Satellite observations from the MODIS, CALIPSO, and CloudSat instruments onboard the A-Train are combined to study midlevel cloud characteristics in the Tropical Western Pacific (TWP) between January 2007 and December 2010. Characteristic cloud and microphysical properties including cloud top height (CTH), geometric thickness, optical depth, effective radius, and liquid or ice water path (LWP or IWP), and environmental properties, including temperature and specific humidity profiles, are determined for precipitating and non-precipitating midlevel clouds. In the study region, approximately 14% of all cloudy scenes are classified as midlevel clouds (4 km < CTH < 8 km). These are concentrated in areas of deeper convection associated with the Pacific warm pool, ITCZ, and SPCZ. Non-precipitating clouds dominate the region, accounting for approximately 70% of all single and two-layer midlevel clouds scenes. Midlevel clouds occur most frequently in three different scenarios: high over midlevel clouds (~65%), single-layer (~25%), and midlevel over mid- or low-level clouds (~10%). Environmental moisture appears to play a larger role than temperature in determining midlevel cloud distributions due to large variations in moisture between the different cloud scenarios. In all scenes, a trimodal distribution in CTH frequency is found within the midlevel. Two of these peaks have been identified in previous studies; however a third midlevel mode is recognized here. CTHs occur most frequently in peaks between 5-6 km, 6-6.25 km, and 6.5-7.5 km. Although the past studies have only noted two midlevel peaks, this third mode is a robust feature in this dataset. Two types of clouds dominate these peaks: non-precipitating altostratus or altocumulus-like clouds less than 1 km thick and geometrically thick precipitating cumulus congestus clouds. Environmental temperature stable layers and dry maxima are found at each one of these peak frequency heights. Again, moisture seems to play a more dominant role in determining the height of the midlevel clouds due to larger variances between the moisture gradients associated with each peak. Microphysical properties (optical depth, effective radius, and LWP or IWP) are characterized for single-layer clouds. Approximately 30% of all single-layer midlevel clouds are precipitating and these clouds tend to occur on the edges of the deep tropics. In general, precipitating clouds have greater optical depths, effective radii, and water path. This research implies that some past studies at single point locations can be representative of the broader tropics, whereas others are not.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans les projets de validation des satellites CALIPSO et CloudSat de L'A-Train dédiés à l'étude des nuages, afin d'améliorer leur représentation dans les modèles de prévision du climat. La validation a consisté à mesurer les paramètres microphysiques et optiques des nuages au moyen d'instruments in situ aéroportés (PMS, Néphélomètre Polaire,CPI). Plusieurs campagnes ont été réalisées en région Arctique (ASTAR 2007 et POLARCAt) et en cirrus aux latitudes moyennes CIRCLE-2) au cours desquelles les observations in situ ont été colocalisées avec celles des satellites. La méthode de traitement du CPI a été améliorée pour la restitution des paramètres microphysiques et du facteur de réflectivité radar (Z). Concernant la validation de CLIPSO, deux situations en cirrus montrent un bon accord entre les coefficients d'extinction (sigma) in situ et restitués, validant ainsi les hypothèses dans l'inversion du lidar. Pour une autre situation, l'effet d'orientation de cristaux de forme plane et hexagonale conduit à des réflexions spéculaire du faisceau lidar et à une surestimation de sigma restitué. A l'opposé des valeurs in situ de sigma plus élevées que CALIOP sont observées lors d'une situation de cirrus avec des cristaux de grande dimension. Les effets de fragmentation de ces cristaux peuvent se traduire par la génération de petites particules avec pour conséquence une surestimation de sigma mesurée. Quant à la validation de CloudSat les résultats montrent un bon accord entre Z CloudSat at ZCPI. En revanche, les parammètres nuageux restitués sont largement surestimés en particulier dans les nuages mixtes où le schéma d'inversion basé sur la température est mal adapté