Single- and multiple-scattering properties of ice crystals in 1.38 μm wavelength and its potential applications in satellite remote sensing

An improved ray-optics theory and Mie theory for single scattering and the adding-doubling method for multiple scattering are used to study the relationship between the radiation in the wavelengths of 1.38, 3.979, 6.5, and 11.03 μm and the microphysics of cirrus clouds. It is shown that the strong 1.38 μm water vapor band in the near-IR region is superior to the other three IR channels used in current operational satellites and has potential possibility of remote sensing of microphysical and optical properties of cirrus clouds.