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2B-CWC-RO 007 issue

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Issue:Assumption of constant number concentration & width parameter

Opened:01/26/07 8:34 pmSubmitted by:Richard Austin
Severity:NORMAL Planned resolution: Removed in R04 (product version 008)


Description
The liquid and ice cloud retrievals used in 2B-CWC-RO assume three-parameter distributions of cloud particles (lognormal for liquid, modified gamma for ice) and retrieve the distribution parameters directly by fitting to the measurements (radar) and a priori data. In order to reduce the number of unknowns to be retrieved, the current versions of the retrievals assume that two of the three parameters are constant with altitude (but their values are still retrieved): the number concentrations of particles and the distribution width parameters. This assumption is obviously more valid in some circumstances than others; it also prevents a priori data from varying with altitude. The next version of this algorithm should remove this assumption, allowing the algorithm to converge in more cases where the vertical variability is high.


Comments
10/22/07 2:22 pm - Richard Austin
This assumption is removed in R04 (product version 008); all three size distribution parameters may vary with altitude in R04.

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