Comparative Study on Cloud Parameter Estimation Among GOSAT/CAI, MODIS, CALIPSO/CALIOP and Landsat-8/OLI with Laser Radar: Lidar as Truth Data

A comparative study on cloud parameter estimation among GOSAT/CAI, MODIS, CALIPSO/CALIOP and Landsat-8/OLI is carried out using Laser Radar: Lidar as a truth data. Optical depth, size distribution, as well as cirrus type of clouds are cloud parameters. In particular, cirrus cloud detection is tough issue. 1.38 μm channel is required for its detection. Although MODIS and Landsat-8/OLI have such channel, the other mission instruments, CAI and CALIPSO/CALIOP do not have such channel. As a truth data of cloud parameter, ground based Lidar is used in this comparative study. From the Lidar, backscattered echo signal and depolarization coefficient are obtained as a function of altitude. Therefore, cloud type, vertical profile can be derived from the Lidar data. CALIPSO/CALIOP is satellite based Lidar which allows observation of clouds from space. Although the directions of laser light emissions between CALIPSO/CALIOP and the ground based Lidar are different, their principles are same. Therefore, it is expected that CALIPSO/CALIOP data derived cloud parameters are similar to the ground based Lidar data derived cloud parameters. The experimental results show the aforementioned facts and are useful for improvement of cloud parameter estimation accuracy with several sensor data combinations. Keywords—Cirrus cloud; GOSAT/CAI; Landsat; LiDAR; Sky view camera; CALIPSO/CALIOP; topogramphic representation of 3D clouds