CALIPSO observations of stratospheric aerosols: a preliminary assessment
نویسندگان
چکیده
We have examined the 532-nm aerosol backscatter coefficient measurements by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) for their use in the monitoring of stratospheric aerosol. CALIPSO makes observations that span from 82 S to 82 N each day and, for each profile, backscatter coefficient values reported up to ∼40 km. The possibility of using CALIPSO for stratospheric aerosol monitoring is demonstrated by the clear observation of the 20 May 2006 eruption of Montserrat in the earliest CALIPSO data in early June as well as by observations showing the 7 October 2006 eruption of Tavurvur (Rabaul). However, the very low aerosol loading within the stratosphere makes routine observations of the stratospheric aerosol far more difficult than relatively dense volcanic plumes. Nonetheless, we found that averaging a complete days worth of nighttime-only data into 5-deg latitude by 1-km vertical bins yields a stratospheric aerosol distribution that is fairly consistent with past measurements by spaceborne instruments. Based on comparisons with 2004 data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment, the derived values are close to expectation except in the tropics where they are larger by about a factor of 2. The cause of the difference in the tropics is not readily apparent but is most likely related to difficulties in the lidar calibration process currently found in the CALIOP data at tropical latitudes.
منابع مشابه
The CALIPSO mission: Spaceborne lidar for observation of aerosols and clouds
Current uncertainties in the effects of aerosols and clouds on the Earth radiation budget limit our understanding of the climate system and the potential for global climate change. The CALIPSO satellite will use an active lidar together with passive instruments to provide vertical profiles of aerosols and clouds and their properties which will help address these uncertainties. CALIPSO will fly ...
متن کاملIncrease in upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric aerosol levels and its potential connection with Asian pollution
Satellite observations have shown that the Asian Summer Monsoon strongly influences the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) aerosol morphology through its role in the formation of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL). Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II solar occultation and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) lidar observations s...
متن کاملPolar stratospheric cloud visualization: volume reconstruction from intersecting curvilinear cross sections
The CALIPSO satellite launched by NASA in 2006 uses an on-board lidar instrument to measure the vertical distribution of clouds and aerosols along the orbital path. This satellite’s dense vertical sampling of the atmosphere provides previously unavailable information about the altitude and composition of clouds, including the polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) that play an important role in the ...
متن کاملWhere Aerosols Become Clouds - Potential for Global Analysis Based on CALIPSO Data
This study evaluates the potential to determine the global distribution of hydrated aerosols based on Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) data products. Knowledge of hydrated aerosol global distribution is of high relevance in the study of the radiative impact of aerosol-cloud interactions on Earth’s climate. The cloud-aerosol discrimination (CAD) score ...
متن کامل