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A Sample of What We Have Learned from A-Train Cloud MeasurementsThe A-train active sensors CloudSat and CALIPSO provide detailed information about cloud vertical structure. Coarse vertical information can also be obtained from a combination of passive sensors (e.g. cloud liquid water content from AMSR-E, cloud ice properties from MLS and HIRDLS, cloud-top pressure from MODIS and AIRS, and UVNISINear IR absorption and scattering from OMI, MODIS, and POLDER). In addition, the wide swaths of instruments such as MODIS, AIRS, OMI, POLDER, and AMSR-E can be exploited to create estimates of the three-dimensional cloud extent. We will show how data fusion from A-train sensors can be used, e.g., to detect and map the presence of multiple layer/phase clouds. Ultimately, combined cloud information from Atrain instruments will allow for estimates of heating and radiative flux at the surface as well as UV/VIS/Near IR trace-gas absorption at the overpass time on a near-global daily basis. CloudSat has also dramatically improved our interpretation of visible and UV passive measurements in complex cloudy situations such as deep convection and multiple cloud layers. This has led to new approaches for unique and accurate constituent retrievals from A-train instruments. For example, ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds have recently been estimated using the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). Field campaign data from TC4 provide additional information about the spatial variability and origin of trace-gases inside convective clouds. We will highlight some of the new applications of remote sensing in cloudy conditions that have been enabled by the synergy between the A-train active and passive sensors.
Document ID
20080023273
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Joiner, Joanna
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Vasilkov, Alexander
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Ziemke, Jerry
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Chandra, Sushil
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Spurr, Robert
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Bhartia, P. K.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Krotkov, Nick
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Sneep, Maarten
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Menzel, Paul
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Platnick, Steve
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Stephens, Graeme
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Wennberg, Paul
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Avery, Melody
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Wentz, Frank
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Vanbaunce, Claudine
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Pilewski, Peter
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Diskin, Glenn
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Vay, Stephanie
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 2008
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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