RETRIEVAL OF CONTRAIL MICROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES DURING SUCCESS BY THE SPLIT-WINDOW METHOD

Estimates of cloud particle size and infrared optical depth were infer red from multi-spectral observations of contrails and cirrus during th e SUbsonic aircraft: Contrails and Cloud Effects Special Study (SUCCES S) experiment on 20 April 1996. The particles in a newly formed contra il were generally smaller than those in an older contrail, while the m icrophysics of the older contrail resembled the surrounding cirrus. Sp lit-window retrievals of contrails were sensitive to changes in surfac e temperature and surface emissivity.