Tropospheric cloud ice has a significant impact on the earth's radiative balance and climate, and to help improve the ability to forecast short-term through climatological-scale weather, the importance of quantification of these ice particles is not to be underestimated. To that end, the study presented here describes an attempt to accomplish large spatial-scale integrated ice water quantity (known as ice water path) retrieval via remote sensing in the microwave band (80-300GHz), where effects from ice crystals become detectable via scattering of terrestrial radiation. At the heart of this study is the use of a radiative transfer model in conjunction with data from surface-based instrumentation to simulate atmospheric brightness temperatures at microwave frequencies, and to compare the simulated results to observational data from the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - B instrument on the NOAA-15 polar orbiting platform. However, this cannot be done without first discussing the nature of ice crystals in the atmosphere and the scattering modes that result from their interaction with energy, and the implementation of approximations thereof for model usage. Case studies are performed using the model to establish the sensitivity and behavior of the model under differing conditions, and these are compared to real-world data. Subsequently ice water path retrieval from satellite data utilizing Bayesian theory is attempted, with somewhat limited success, and the results hereof are discussed. Finally, known error sources are examined with possibilities for improvement, and ideas for future work in the field presented. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Meteorology in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2006. / Date of Defense: March 20, 2006. / Crystal, Ice, Atmosphere, Microwave, Radiative Transfer, IWP, Radar, Satellite / Includes bibliographical references. / Guosheng Liu, Professor Directing Thesis; Paul Ruscher, Committee Member; KwangYul Kim, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_168611 |
| Contributors | Zuiderweg, Adriaan T. (authoraut), Liu, Guosheng (professor directing thesis), Ruscher, Paul (committee member), Kim, KwangYul (committee member), Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
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