The chord length distributions within a cloud and between clouds are c
onsidered. Such information is needed as input to certain statistical
models of cloud-radiation interaction. Modeling the clouds as azimutha
lly symmetric ellipsoids, the authors find that the chord length distr
ibution through a cloud of fixed size is proportional to the chord len
gth. The proportionality constant depends upon the semiaxes of the ell
ipse as well as the angle of incidence of the radiation. This linear b
ehavior is easily convolved over an arbitrary size distribution of the
clouds to obtain the chord length distribution through a statistical
mixture of different cloud sizes. The chord length distribution betwee
n clouds is also considered for an atmospheric layer of finite thickne
ss. In this case, both analytic and numerical methods are needed to ob
tain results. In the limit of an infinite thickness atmospheric layer
described by homogeneous statistics and fixed cloud chord lengths, our
considerations reduce to a Markovian (exponentially distributed chord
lengths) model for the intercloud spacing.