Photon conservation in scattering by large ice crystals with the SASKTRAN radiative transfer model

The scattering of visible light by ice crystals and dust in radiative transfer models is challenging in part due to the large amount of scattering in the forward direction. We introduce a technique that ensures numerical conservation of photons in any radiative transfer model and that quantifies the integration error associated with highly asymmetric phase functions. When applied to a successive-orders of scatter model, the technique illustrates the high accuracy obtained in numerical integration of molecular and aerosol scattering. As well, a phase function truncation and renormalization technique is applied to scattering by ice crystals with very large size parameters, between 100 and 1000, and the scaled radiative transfer equation is solved with the spherical successive-orders model, SASKTRAN. Since computations shown this work are performed in a fully spherical model atmosphere, the computed radiances are not subject to the discontinuity at the horizon that is inherent in models using a plane-parallel assumption. The methods introduced in this work are of particular interest in modeling limb radiances in the presence of thin cirrus clouds.

► We model scattering by large ice crystals in a spherical successive-orders model. ► Scattering integral error is analyzed with a novel energy conservation approach. ► Phase function truncation is selected to reduce numerical scattering error. ► Accuracies of computed radiance are improved by several orders of magnitude.