Assessment of tropospheric CALIPSO Version 4.2 aerosol types over the ocean using independent CALIPSO–SODA lidar ratios

Abstract. We assess the CALIPSO Version 4.2 (V4) aerosol typing and assigned lidar ratios over ocean using optical depth (AOD) retrievals from Synergized Optical Depth of Aerosols (SODA) algorithm retrieved columnar ratio estimated by combining SODA AOD attenuated backscatter (CALIPSO–SODA). Six types – clean marine, dusty dust, polluted continental/smoke, elevated smoke are characterized CALIPSO–SODA results compared against prescribed V4 ratios, when only one type is present in atmospheric column. For samples detected at 5 or 20 km spatial resolutions having > 0.05, significantly different between types, consistent with type-specific values to within 10 sr (except for continental/smoke). This implies that classification scheme generally categorizes specific aerosols correctly regions where they abundant. find remarkable daytime/nighttime regional agreement marine open (CALIPSO–SODA = 20–25 sr, 23 sr), southeast Atlantic 65–75 70 dust subtropical adjacent African continent 40–50 44 sr). In contrast, daytime continental/smoke more than smaller constant value type, attributed part challenge classifying tenuous low signal-to-noise ratio. Dust most Ocean features less 40 possibly suggesting presence mixed depend on source evolution plume. The new introduced similar magnitudes distribution as its counterpart differences 3 nearly identical ocean, implying some modification subtypes warranted.