Properties of Cirrus Cloud Observed over Koror, Palau (7.3°N, 134.5°E), in Tropical Western Pacific Region

Abstract

This study presented an analysis of the geometric and optical properties of cirrus clouds with data produced by Compact Cloud-Aerosol Lidar (ComCAL) over Koror, Palau (7.3°N, 134.5°E), in the Tropical Western Pacific region. The lidar measurement dataset covers April 2018 to May 2019 and includes data collected during March, July and August 2022. The results show that cirrus clouds occur approximately 47.9% of the lidar sampling time, predominantly between altitudes of 15 and 18 km. Seasonal variations in cirrus top height closely align with those of the cold point tropopause. Most cirrus clouds exhibit low cloud optical depth (COD < 0.1), with an annual mean depolarization ratio of 31 ± 19%. Convective-forming cirrus clouds during the summer monsoon season exhibit a larger size by notably lower values in terms of color ratio. Extremely thin cirrus clouds (COD < 0.005) constituting 1.6% of total cirrus occurrences are frequently observed at 1–2 km above the cold point, particularly during winter and summer, suggesting significant stratosphere–troposphere exchange. The coldest and highest tropopause over Palau is persistent during winter, and related to the pathway of tropospheric air entering the stratosphere through the cold trap. In summer, the extremely thin cirrus above the cold point is likely correlated with equatorial Kelvin waves induced by western Pacific monsoon convection.

Keywords

• cirrus clouds
• ice clouds
• lidar
• tropical western Pacific