The Ability of MM5 to Simulate Ice Clouds: Systematic Comparison between Simulated and Measured Fluxes and Lidar/Radar Profiles at Site Instrumental de Recherche par Teled'etrection Armospherique Atmospheric Observatory

Ice clouds play a major role in the radiative energy budget of the earth-atmosphere system (Liou 1986). Their radiative effect is governed primarily by the equilibrium between their albedo and greenhouse effects. Both macrophysical and microphysical properties of ice clouds regulate this equilibrium. To quantify the effect of these clouds on climate and weather systems, they must be properly characterized into atmospheric models.