Optical depth measurement and automated determination of cloud base height and vertical extent

• Main Authors: Tuason, Francis Antonio, Nono, Rickman
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2000
• Subjects: Clouds—Dynamics; Physics
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/4384
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Optical Depth and Cloud Base/Top Height System (ODACS) was successfully developed using the Borland C++ Builder 4. The ODACS is composed of 5 parts, namely the Cloud Base Height Software, Optical Depth Software, Data Plotter, THI Plotter, and the Statistics Plotter. Macrophysical properties of clouds such as cloud base height, cloud top height, and vertical extent were computer by the Cloud Base Height Software of the ODACS package. The extinction coefficient of both molecular and aerosol were computed by the Optical Depth Software which simultaneously computes for the optical depth for a pre-defined altitude. In addition, the processed data can further be analyzed using the LIDAR Data Plotter and the THI Plotter modules. Single profile plots and colored time-height-intensity plots (THI) of the corrected signal, extinction coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and the range-squared corrected signal can be made. Cloud occurrences as well as their respective profiles were determined using the Statistics Plotter.