Far-infrared remote sensing of cirrus cloud properties

The lack of a global cirrus cloud database is a major deficiency in validating Global Circulation Models which are the basis for estimating long term climate change. Cirrus clouds being composed of ice particles act to reflect the incoming solar radiation and to block infrared energy radiation loss from the earth. The net effect can be either warming or cooling. The essential data are global distributions of the Ice Water Path (IWP) and effective particle size. We have modeled the outgoing earth radiance spectrum between 8 and 1000 micrometer as a function of IWP and effective particle size. The results are used to estimate cirrus retrieval accuracies for cirrus from far infrared/submm measurements by Fourier transform spectroscopy. We describe the aircraft-based Far Infrared Sensor for Cirrus (FIRSC) instrument which is currently under construction. We also discuss the potential contribution of far infrared/submm measurements for the validation of cirrus products anticipated in the MTPE MODIS program.