DEVELOPMENT OF A DAYTIME CLOUD AND AEROSOL LOADINGS DETECTION ALGORITHM FOR HIMAWARI-8 SATELLITE MEASUREMENTS OVER DESERT

To build on the previous investigations of the Voronoi model in the remote sensing retrievals of ice cloud products, this paper developed an ice cloud parameterization scheme based on the single-scattering properties of the Voronoi model and evaluate it through simulations with the Community Integrated Earth System Model (CIESM). Compared with four representative ice cloud schemes, results show that the Voronoi model has good capabilities of ice cloud modeling in the climate model.

Cloud properties observed by the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) onboard the Global Change Observation Mission – Climate (GCOM-C) satellite are evaluated using surface observation data. The study finds that SGLI-observed cloud properties are qualitative enough, although water cloud properties are suggested to be more qualitative, and both water and ice cloud properties can reproduce surface irradiance quite satisfactorily. Thus, SGLI cloud products are very useful for different studies.

In an attempt to make cloud retrievals from the surface more common and convenient, we developed a cloud retrieval algorithm applicable for sky radiometers. It is based on an optimum method by fitting measured transmittances with modeled values. Further, a cost-effective and easy-to-use calibration procedure is proposed and validated using data obtained from the standard method. A detailed error analysis and quality assessment are also performed.

The cloud droplet size retrieval of POLDER is accurate even when the measurements are limited. The algorithm can be improved by (1) including the measurements in the primary rainbow region to provide accurate large droplet (>15 µm) retrievals; (2) performing higher-resolution retrieval (42 km × 42 km) to ensure more successful retrievals and reduce the bias introduced by cloud horizontal inhomogeneity.