M. Del Guasta et K. Niranjan, Observation of low-depolarization contrails at Florence (Italy) using a 532-1064 nm polarization LIDAR, GEOPHYS R L, 28(21), 2001, pp. 4067-4070
Contrail backscatter and polarization measurements made using a 532-1064 nm
LIDAR in Florence (Italy) indicated that, in most of the cases, the contra
il depolarisation and color ratio resemble the usual cirrus. In 20% of the
cases, a depolarisation below 15% was observed, both in isolated contrails
and in cirrus-embedded contrails, In a few cases, a very low depolarisation
, down to 3%, was observed at temperatures in the -40 degrees to -65 degree
s C range. In two measurements, a low depolarization was coupled with a hig
h color ratio in the 2-4 range. The low-depolarisation, high color ratio co
ntrail observations are discussed in the light of the results of recent T-m
atrix scattering simulations. The two events lasted at least 10-20 minutes
in the LIDAR data, suggesting a very slow growth or no growth at all of the
initial micron-sized contrail particles in the large ice crystals typical
of cirrus.