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Height Distribution Between Cloud and Aerosol Layers from the GLAS Spaceborne Lidar in the Indian Ocean RegionThe Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), a nadir pointing lidar on the Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) launched in 2003, now provides important new global measurements of the relationship between the height distribution of cloud and aerosol layers. GLAS data have the capability to detect, locate, and distinguish between cloud and aerosol layers in the atmosphere up to 40 km altitude. The data product algorithm tests the product of the maximum attenuated backscatter coefficient b'(r) and the vertical gradient of b'(r) within a layer against a predetermined threshold. An initial case result for the critical Indian Ocean region is presented. From the results the relative height distribution between collocated aerosol and cloud shows extensive regions where cloud formation is well within dense aerosol scattering layers at the surface. Citation: Hart, W. D., J. D. Spinhime, S. P. Palm, and D. L. Hlavka (2005), Height distribution between cloud and aerosol layers from the GLAS spaceborne lidar in the Indian Ocean region,
Document ID
20060018354
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Hart, William D.
(Science Applications International Corp. Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Spinhirne, James D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Palm, Steven P.
(Science Applications International Corp. Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Hlavka, Dennis L.
(Science Applications International Corp. Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
September 30, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Volume: 32
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
Paper-GL023671
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-01070
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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