Satellite-based observations during the Arctic winter of 2009/2010 provide firm evidence that, in contrast to the current understanding, the nucleation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) in the polar stratosphere does not only occur on preexisting ice particles. In order to explain the NAT clouds observed over the Arctic in mid-December 2009, a heterogeneous nucleation mechanism is required, occur...

The version 2 Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) dust layer detection method, which is based only on lidar measurements, misclassified about 43% dust layers (mainly dense dust layers) as cloud layers over the Taklamakan Desert. To address this problem, a new method was developed by combining the CALIPSO Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (...

Abstract. Although a remarkable reduction in the frequency of sand and dust storms (SDSs) past several decades has been reported over northern China (NC), two unexpected mega SDSs occurred on 15–20 27–29 March 2021 (abbreviated as “3.15” “3.27” SDS events), which reawakened widespread concern. This study characterizes optical, microphysical, radiative properties aerosols their meteorological dr...

Volcanic ash is emitted by most eruptions, sometimes reaching the stratosphere. In addition to its climate effect, ash may have a significant impact on civilian flights. Currently, the horizontal distribution of ash aerosols is quite extensively studied, but not its vertical profile, while of high importance for both applications mentioned. Here, we study the sensitivity of the thermal infrared...

To be submitted to IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING 2 Abstract-Geostationary data from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) in conjunction with A-Train data are used to develop an algorithm for detecting absorbing aerosols above liquid clouds (AAC). The detection relies on spectral signatures, textural characteristics, and time-dependent spectral variatio...

Every year, a large number of aerosols are released from dust storms into the atmosphere, which may have potential impacts on the climate, environment, and air quality. Detecting dust aerosols and monitoring their movements and evolutions in a timely manner is a very significant task. Satellite remote sensing has been demonstrated as an effective means for observing dust aerosols. In this paper...

1 2 This paper presents statistics of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) above Antarctica from 3 June to October 2006 using observations from the CALIOP spaceborne lidar, part of the 4 CALIPSO mission. Synoptic-scale changes in their geographic and temporal distribution 5 are documented on a weekly basis and correlated with temperature fields. A very high 6 spatial and temporal variability tends...