Microphysical and radiative properties of stratocumulus

During the Cloudy Column project of the Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (ACE2) stratocumulus clouds formed in air masses of different origins have been sampled. The paper presents results from insitu measurements and the comparison of the derived radiative properties with those remotely sensed. A simple parametrisation of the optical thickness of the adiabatic cloud re gions is presented. The cloud optical thickness is much more sensitive to t he cloud geometrical thickness (H-5/3) than to the droplet concentration (N -1/3). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.