Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, Volume. 20, Issue 3, 367(2025)

Simulation of backscattering properties of hollow ice crystals in cirrus clouds

ZHU Xuanhao1,2,3 and LIU Dong1,2,3、*
Author Affiliations
  • 1Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Optics, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
  • 2Science Island Branch of Graduate School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
  • 3Nanhu Laser Laboratory, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
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    Cirrus clouds, typically found at altitudes above 6 km, consist of non-spherical ice crystals and play a crucial role in the earth's radiation balance. Previous in-situ observation experiments have revealed a significant presence of hollow ice crystals in cirrus clouds. However, due to the absence of appropriate forward model, the existence of these hollow ice crystals is often overlooked in lidar observation studies. Based on prior in-situ observations, this paper establishes an empirical relationship between the hollowness and the length of hollow ice crystals, addressing the limitations of the fixed hollowness assumption used in previous hollow ice crystal models. The derivation of the physical optics approximation method based on beam-splitting and the calculation process for the backscattering properties of hollow ice crystals are introduced in detail. The simulation results show that both the wavelength depolarization ratio and the color ratio of ice crystals at 532 nm and 1064 nm are dependent on crystal size, and especially, the color ratio of ice crystal dooecreases monotonically with the increase of crystal size.

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    Xuanhao ZHU, Dong LIU. Simulation of backscattering properties of hollow ice crystals in cirrus clouds[J]. Journal of Atmospheric and Environmental Optics, 2025, 20(3): 367

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    Paper Information

    Category: "Advanced technology of lidar and its application in atmospheric environment" Albun

    Received: Nov. 8, 2024

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Jun. 9, 2025

    The Author Email: Dong LIU (dliu@aiofm.cas.cn)

    DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1673-6141.2025.03.010

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