Work

Can We Rely on Satellite Visible/Infrared Microphysical Retrievals of Boundary Layer Clouds in Partially Cloudy Scenes? Implications for Climate Research

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study addresses the longstanding question of the reliability of gridded visible/infrared satellite cloud properties in partially cloudy scenes. By using in‐situ cloud probes and airborne Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) observations, we analyze bias changes in satellite retrievals from the Spinning Enhanced Visible Infra‐Red Imager (SEVIRI) geostationary sensor during the ORACLES campaign. Biases in cloud optical depth (τ) and droplet effective radius (re) modestly change for cloud area fraction greater than 35%. The agreement between SEVIRI and RSP re substantially improves when the retrievals are averaged after removing pixels with τ < 3.0, yielding biases indistinguishable from overcast scenes. In addition, satellite and RSP show an excellent agreement for closed‐ and open‐cell stratocumulus clouds, showing that the satellite retrievals capture spatial changes of re, and confirming that satellites can faithfully reproduce real physical features for optically thick and partially cloudy scenes. We demonstrate that a simple methodology can minimize uncertainties in satellite‐based climate studies.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2024gl113825

Authors: David Painemal, William L. Smith, Siddhant Gupta, Richard Moore, Brian Cairns, Greg M. McFarquhar, Joseph O’Brien

Institutions: Langley Research Center, Argonne National Laboratory, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, University of Oklahoma

Language: English

Topic: Atmospheric aerosols and clouds

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,190

Funder: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Award: CO-I GREG MCFARQUHAR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE ORACLES SCIENCE OBJECTIVES AS DESCRIBED IN THE MAIN ORACLES PROPOSAL SERVING AS CONSULTANT TO THE PI ON MEASUREMENT OF CLOUD PROPERTIES. MORE SPECIFICALLY HE WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT AS DESCRIBED BELOW. ALONG WITH COLLABORATORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA THE PI WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING OF DATA FROM THE CLOUD MICROPHYSICS PROBES (PCASP 2DS CDP CAPS (CAS AND CIP) HVPS3 KING PROBE) AND WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING L2 DATA PRODUCTS TO THE SDS. THE PI WILL ALSO PRODUCE A BEST ESTIMATE OF SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS CHARACTERIZING THE COMPLETE RANGE OF PARTICLE SIZES AND OF BULK PROPERTIES (E.G. LIQUID WATER CONTENT TOTAL NUMBER CONCENTRATION CONCENTRATION OF DRIZZLE DROPS EXTINCTION AND EFFECTIVE RADIUS) BY INTERCOMPARING SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM DIFFERENT PROBES AS A FUNCTION OF CLOUD ENVIRONMENTAL AND AIRCRAFT PARAMETERS AND BY CONDUCTING CLOSURE TESTS WHERE MEASURED BULK PROPERTIES ARE COMPARED AGAINST THOSE DERIVED FROM THE SIZE-RESOLVED PROBES. THE PI WILL ALSO USE THE COLLECTED DATA IN STUDIES ADDRESSING THE SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES DESCRIBED IN THE PROPOSAL. IN PARTICULAR THE PI WILL ASSESS HOW THE VERTICAL PROFILES OF CLOUD MICROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND PRESENCE OF DRIZZLE VARY WITH AEROSOL LOADING AND COMPOSITION METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS VERTICAL VELOCITY ALTITUDE DISTANCE FROM THE AFRICAN COAST AND SEPARATION BETWEEN THE CLOUD AND AEROSOL LAYER. BY DOING SO THE PI WILL INVESTIGATE HOW THE ROLE OF PROCESSES SUCH AS ENTRAINMENT AND MIXING COLLISION-COALESCENCE AND HYDROMETEOR SEDIMENTATION DEPEND ON THE COMPOSITION SIZES AND NUMBERS OF AEROSOLS ENTERING THE CLOUD.

OpenAlex ID: W4409809864

FWCI: 0.873

Cites: 40

Cited by: 2

Related to: 10