Description
Calculate a supplied cloud liquid-water-path contribution.
Atmospheric values depend on pressure order, vertical datums, moisture definitions and reference conditions. Specific humidity uses moist-air mass as its denominator, whereas mixing ratio uses dry-air mass. A pressure-order flag differs from a temperature inversion, and a logarithmic-pressure weight can represent extrapolation.
Calculate a supplied cloud liquid-water-path contribution.
When to use this tool
Use Cloud Path Liquid Water Contribution when you already have liquidWaterContentGramsPerCubicMeter, pathLengthMeters and need to calculate a supplied cloud liquid-water-path contribution.
How to use the tool and how it works
- Enter liquidWaterContentGramsPerCubicMeter, pathLengthMeters. Use the units and conventions below.
- Run the tool. Correct any format, range, or cross-field input error before interpreting the output.
- Read liquidWaterPathGramsPerSquareMeter. Use the output convention below.
Require liquid water content in g/m³ and path length in m nonnegative; multiply for g/m².1
| Input field | Meaning and units | Accepted input |
|---|---|---|
| liquidWaterContentGramsPerCubicMeter | Liquid Water Content Grams Per Cubic Meter | Required. Finite number; minimum 0. |
| pathLengthMeters | Path Length Meters | Required. Finite number; minimum 0. |
| Output field | Interpretation | Returned shape |
|---|---|---|
| liquidWaterPathGramsPerSquareMeter | Supplied mean g/m³ times path meters gives g/m² for this layer. | Required. Finite number. |
{
"input": {
"liquidWaterContentGramsPerCubicMeter": 0.2,
"pathLengthMeters": 500
},
"output": {
"liquidWaterPathGramsPerSquareMeter": 100
}
}Limitations and assumptions
- The content must be constant or already averaged over the stated path. This single layer term does not retrieve cloud water, include ice or integrate a varying profile.
- Inputs must satisfy both the field types and the cross-field conditions above. Invalid input causes an error; a successful false flag or documented placeholder is a different result.
- Numeric calculations use binary floating point unless exact decimal-integer arithmetic is explicitly stated. No hidden measurement tolerance or decimal rounding is added; nonfinite or out-of-contract results are rejected. Numeric signed-zero results are exported as zero.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use calibrated profile and station data with the complete atmospheric model. Preserve datum, humidity and pressure conventions and assess uncertainty before interpreting local terms as an observed layer, state or forecast.
References
Similar or alternative tools
- Cloud Layer Optical Depth Step
Add supplied extinction across one layer to optical depth.
- Radiative Absorption Path Transmission
Calculate a supplied absorption optical depth and path transmission.