Comparison of In-situ Balloon-borne and Lidar Measurement of Cirrus Clouds

A series of in-situ balloon-borne experiments conducted at Kiruna, Sweden (68 °N), is studying uppertropospheric, cold ice clouds in arctic latitudes. Experiments are launched from Esrange Space Center and collect ice particles with an in-situ imaging instrument. One of the aims with these measurements is to improve satellite remote sensing of cold ice clouds. Such clouds can be observed by lidar. Therefore, when possible, concurrent ground-based lidar measurements have been carried out with two available lidar systems to accompany the balloon-borne measurements. The Esrange lidar is located at Esrange Space Center, approximately 500 m from the in-situ launch site on the balloon pad; the IRF lidar is located about 29 km to the west of Esrange Space Center (operated by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, IRF). Here we present results from these lidar measurements and compare them to ice particle properties determined during the in-situ measurements.