Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

The Use of High-resolution Infrared Thermography (HRIT) for the Study of Ice Nucleation and Ice Propagation in Plants
Published on: May 8, 2015
Visible and near infrared reflectances measured from laboratory ice clouds
1Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1565, USA. brian_barkey@juno.com
Abstract:
We present laboratory results of the 0.68 microm visible (VIS) and 1.617 microm near infrared (NIR) reflectances typically used for inferring optical depth and ice crystal size from satellite radiometers, from ice clouds generated in a temperature controlled column cloud chamber. Two types of ice crystals were produced in this experiment: small columns and dendrites with mean maximum dimensions of about 17 and 35 microm. Within experimental uncertainty, the measured reflectances from ice clouds at both wavelengths agree reasonably well with the theoretical results computed from the plane-parallel adding-doubling method for radiative transfer using the measured ice particle morphology. We demonstrate that laboratory scattering and reflectance data for thin ice clouds with optical depths less than 0.4 can be used for validation of the thin cirrus optical depth and ice crystal size that have been routinely retrieved from the satellite VIS-NIR two channel pair.
Related Concept Videos
Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Infrared Spectroscopy: Overview
The ATR process begins by directing a beam...
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy
Infrared (IR) Spectroscopy: Overview
Different compounds display unique properties due to their...
IR Spectrometers
IR Spectrum
Transmittance is defined as the ratio of the radiant power passing through a sample to that from the radiation's source. Multiplying the transmittance by 100 gives the percent transmittance (%T), which varies between 100% (no absorption) and 0% (complete...
Flame Photometry: Lab

