Interpret cloud properties as level properties (this was the default behaviour before version 1.4; see also ic_file). If ic_level is defined, a ic_file would be interpreted as follows:
#      z     IWC    R\_eff
#     (km)  (g/m$$^3$$) (um)  
      5.000   0      0     
      4.000   0.2    12.0 
      3.000   0.1    10.0 
      2.000   0.1     8.0
The value 0.2 g/m3 refers to altitude 4.0km, as e.g. in a radiosonde profile. The properties of each layer are calculated as average over the adjacent levels. E.g. the single scattering properties for the model layer between 3 and 4km are obtained by averaging over the two levels 3km and 4km. To allow easy definition of sharp cloud boundaries, clouds are only formed if both liquid water contents above and below the respective layer are larger than 0. Hence, in the above example, the layers between 2 and 3 as well as between 3 and 4km are cloudy while those between 1 and 2km and between 4 and 5km are not.





Arve Kylling 2010-03-10