Development of a multiple-field-of-view multiple-scattering polarization lidar: comparison with cloud radar.

We developed a multiple-field-of-view multiple-scattering polarization lidar (MFMSPL) to study the microphysics of optically thick clouds. Designed to measure enhanced backscattering and depolarization ratio comparable to space-borne lidar, the system consists of four sets of parallel and perpendicular channels mounted with different zenith angles. Depolarization ratios from water clouds were large as observed by MFMSPL compared to those observed by conventional lidar. Cloud top heights and depolarization ratios tended to be larger for outer MFMSPL channels than for vertically pointing channels. Co-located 95 GHz cloud radar and MFMSPL observations showed reasonable agreement at the observed cloud top height.