An advanced algorithm for ice cloud-top height and ice water path retrieval at a hybrid spatial resolution using joint passive infrared and microwave observations
Abstract
While clouds play in critical role in regulating the energy budget of the Earth-atmosphere system, representation of cloud properties and microphysical processes in current climate models remains one of the largest sources of uncertainty. Among numerous modeled cloud properties, cloud water path (CWP), especially ice water path (IWP), shows significant large inter-model difference. One important reason for the large IWP uncertainty is the lack of robust and consistent observational constraints. Current major cloud property retrieval algorithms mainly rely on single instruments, from which only a portion of information for global clouds can be inferred due to the inevitable limitations of individual instruments (or spectral regions). This research uses more comprehensive information from combined passive infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) observations for IWP and cloud-top height (CTH) retrievals. Furthermore, sub-pixel variabilities within coarse MW footprints are fully considered to mitigate the impact of cloud spatial heterogeneity.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.A14A..05W
- Keywords:
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- 0305 Aerosols and particles;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 0319 Cloud optics;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 0360 Radiation: transmission and scattering;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE;
- 4275 Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL