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Liquid Water Path: Overview

Liquid water path  (LWP) is one of the most important variables for modeling the atmosphere.  LWP is measure of the weight of the liquid water droplets in the atmosphere above a unit surface area on the earth, given in units of kg m−2 (AMS Glossary). It is critical for understanding radiative transfer. The liquid water path can be approximately retrieved from passive and active remote sensing such as microwave radiometer instruments, for example SSM/I.

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Formal definition of liquid water path (LWP). (Climate Data Guide; D. Shea)

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National Center for Atmospheric Research Staff (Eds). Last modified 08 Oct 2013. "The Climate Data Guide: Liquid Water Path: Overview." Retrieved from https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/liquid-water-path-overview.

Acknowledgement of any material taken from this page is appreciated. On behalf of experts who have contributed data, advice, and/or figures, please cite their work as well.

Liquid Water Path: Overview

Liquid water path  (LWP) is one of the most important variables for modeling the atmosphere.  LWP is measure of the weight of the liquid water droplets in the atmosphere above a unit surface area on the earth, given in units of kg m−2 (AMS Glossary). It is critical for understanding radiative transfer. The liquid water path can be approximately retrieved from passive and active remote sensing such as microwave radiometer instruments, for example SSM/I.