| Abstract: | The effects of cloud dimensions and orientation on the scattering pattern have been examined assuming rectangular shaped finite clouds corresponding to cumulus. The clouds are illuminated by the visible solar radiation. The analysis shows the following. (1) A cloud of horizontal extent less than 5 times its vertical dimension should be regarded as a finite cloud for estimating scattering patterns. (2) The importance of cloud shape increases with increasing solar zenith angle. (3) Surrounding clouds located at a distance of about 5 times their diameter away from the central cloud do not alter the scattering pattern. The surrounding clouds increase the fraction of reflection as they approach the central cloud, this effect becoming evident when the separation is about twice the cloud diameter, corresponding to a cloud amount of about 25%. |
