Publication Date:
2017-06-20
Description:
New cloud property datasets based on measurements from the passive imaging satellite sensors AVHRR, MODIS, ATSR2, AATSR and MERIS are presented. Two retrieval systems were developed that include components for cloud detection and cloud typing followed by cloud property retrievals based on the optimal estimation (OE) technique. The OE-based retrievals are applied to simultaneously retrieve cloud-top pressure, cloud particle effective radius and cloud optical thickness using measurements at visible, near-infrared and thermal infrared wavelengths, which ensures spectral consistency. The retrieved cloud properties are further processed to derive cloud-top height, cloud-top temperature, cloud liquid water path, cloud ice water path and spectral cloud albedo. The Cloud_cci products are pixel-based retrievals, daily composites of those on a global equal-angle latitude-longitude grid, and monthly cloud properties such as averages, standard deviations and histograms, also on a global grid. All products include rigorous propagation of the retrieval and sampling uncertainties. Grouping the orbital properties of the sensor families, six datasets have been defined, which are named: AVHRR-AM, AVHRR-PM, MODIS-Terra, MODIS-Aqua, ATSR2-AATSR and MERIS+AATSR, each comprising a specific subset of all available sensors. The individual characteristics of the datasets are presented together with a summary of the retrieval systems and measurement records on which the dataset generation were based. Example validation results are given, based on comparisons to well-established reference observations, which demonstrate the good quality of the data. Together with the ensured spectral consistency and rigorous uncertainty propagation though all processing levels, the Cloud_cci datasets approach new benchmarks for climate data records of cloud properties based on passive imaging sensors. For each dataset a Digital Object Identifier has been issued: Cloud_cci AVHRR-AM: https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/AVHRR-AM/V002 Cloud_cci AVHRR-PM: https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/AVHRR-PM/V002 Cloud_cci MODIS-Terra: https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/MODIS-Terra/V002 Cloud_cci MODIS-Aqua: https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/MODIS-Aqua/V002 Cloud_cci ATSR2-AATSR: https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/ATSR2-AATSR/V002 Cloud_cci MERIS+AATSR: https://doi.org/10.5676/DWD/ESA_Cloud_cci/MERIS+AATSR/V002
Electronic ISSN:
1866-3591
Topics:
Geosciences
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