Routine cloud boundary algorithm development for ARM Micropulse Lidar
Authors
Connor J. Flynn — University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology
Karen Lee Johnson — Brookhaven National Laboratory
Zhien Wang — University of Colorado
Jennifer M. Comstock — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Chitra Sivaraman — Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Category
Cloud Properties
Description
Lidar cloud boundaries are a useful tool for identifying cloud base height, as well as cloud thickness in optically thin clouds, and are a necessary input for popular ARM data products, such as the Active Remotely Sensed Cloud Locations (ARSCL) product. The ARM LIDAR focus group has been tasked with the development of an operational lidar cloud boundary algorithm to help alleviate bottlenecks in cloud mask generation. While this task seems straightforward, an operational data product must work most of the time under all atmospheric conditions, which proves difficult as instrument health and lidar corrections vary over time. To work towards a solution, we have evaluated and compared three different cloud boundary algorithms to help choose the most robust method. We will present results from this comparison and describe our progress and path forward for implementation into a standard ARM data product.
