Improvements on the ice cloud modeling capabilities of the Community Radiative Transfer Model

Noticeable improvements on the ice cloud modeling capabilities of the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) are reported, which are based on the most recent advances in understanding ice cloud microphysical (particularly, ice particle habit/shape characteristics) and optical properties. The new CRTM ice cloud model is derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection 6 ice cloud habit model, which represents ice particles as severely roughened hexagonal ice column aggregates with a gamma size distribution. The single-scattering properties of the new ice particle model are derived from a state-of-the-art ice optical property library and are constructed as look-up tables for rapid CRTM computations. Various sensitivity studies concerning instrument-specific applications and simulations are performed to validate CRTM against satellite observations. In particular, radiances in a spectral region covering the infrared wavelengths are simulated. Comparisons of brightness temperatures between CRTM simulations and observations (from MODIS, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit) show that the new ice cloud optical property look-up table substantially enhances the performance of the CRTM under ice cloud conditions.