Reply to comment on "Retrieval of aerosol properties over the ocean using multispectral and multiangle photopolarimetric measurements from the Research Scanning Polarimeter"

In a recent paper [Chowdhary et al., 2001; hereafter CCM&T], we showed that the inclusion of polarimetric information provides superior results in the retrieval of aerosol properties to those obtained using only the intensity . Having previously shown detailed theoretical analyses of the superiority of well calibrated polarimetric remote sensing to intensity only remote sen sing of aerosols [Mishchenko and Travis 1997a, b], the purpose of CCM&T was to demonstrate that such analyses carry over to actual measurements. The e xcellent agreement between upward looking sunphotometer measurements of spe ctral optical depth and those inferred from the Research Scanning Polarimet er (RSP) measurements (Fig. 2 of CCM&T) provides a first demonstration of t he validity of the previous theoretical analyses in a natural setting. In t heir commentary [this issue] Martonchik, Kahn, Diner and West (hereafter MK D&W) discuss the complementarity of polarimetric remote sensing and the typ e of measurements made by MISR. We would concur with MKD&W that it is "esse ntial to validate retrieved spectral refractive indices and particle size d istributions" that are possible with polarimetric measurements, just as it is essential to evaluate and validate the true capabilities of MISR. We loo k forward to such evaluation and analysis of RSP measurements in future co- ordinated field campaigns. In the following we discuss why we believe the s et of measurements and the analysis presented in CCM&T provides a fair, alt hough not perfect, representation of the capabilities of MISR and discuss t he other issues raised by MKD&W.