Scientific aspects of the Earth clouds, Aerosols, and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission

Donovan, D. P.; Barker, Howard; Hogan, Robin J.; Wehr, T.; Eisinger, Michael; Lajas, Dulce; Lefebvre, Alain

doi:10.1063/1.4804802

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…In a complementary sense, observational data and model fusion can extend these samples to provide reasonable estimates of aerosol vertical distributions over larger areas. Another complementary element will be space‐borne HSRL lidar data offered by the upcoming EarthCare mission [ Donovan et al, ].…”

Section: The Challenge and Methods Of Global Measurements Of Ccn And Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The GPM, a TRMM follow‐on mission, was launched in 2014. The ESA/JAXA Earth Clouds and Aerosol Explorer Mission (EarthCARE) [ Donovan et al, ], with expected launch in late 2016, will replace CLOUDSAT and CALIPSO with expanded capabilities for measuring aerosols using the HSRL technique and cloud vertical motions with its Doppler radar.…”

Section: The Challenge Of Observing Cloud‐mediated Aerosol Radiative mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global observations of aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions

et al. 2014

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Cloud drop condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN) particles determine to a large extent cloud microstructure and, consequently, cloud albedo and the dynamic response of clouds to aerosol-induced changes to precipitation. This can modify the reflected solar radiation and the thermal radiation emitted to space. Measurements of tropospheric CCN and IN over large areas have not been possible and can be only roughly approximated from satellite-sensor-based estimates of optical properties of aerosols. Our lack of ability to measure both CCN and cloud updrafts precludes disentangling the effects of meteorology from those of aerosols and represents the largest component in our uncertainty in anthropogenic climate forcing. Ways to improve the retrieval accuracy include multiangle and multipolarimetric passive measurements of the optical signal and multispectral lidar polarimetric measurements. Indirect methods include proxies of trace gases, as retrieved by hyperspectral sensors. Perhaps the most promising emerging direction is retrieving the CCN properties by simultaneously retrieving convective cloud drop number concentrations and updraft speeds, which amounts to using clouds as natural CCN chambers. These satellite observations have to be constrained by in situ observations of aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate (ACPC) interactions, which in turn constrain a hierarchy of model simulations of ACPC. Since the essence of a general circulation model is an accurate quantification of the energy and mass fluxes in all forms between the surface, atmosphere and outer space, a route to progress is proposed here in the form of a series of box flux closure experiments in the various climate regimes. A roadmap is provided for quantifying the ACPC interactions and thereby reducing the uncertainty in anthropogenic climate forcing.

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Section: The Challenge and Methods Of Global Measurements Of Ccn And Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Challenge Of Observing Cloud‐mediated Aerosol Radiative mentioning

confidence: 99%

Global observations of aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions

et al. 2014

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“…For CloudSat, it has been shown that over land, the received signal is free from ground clutter only from the fifth range bin above ground level (1200 m agl, hereafter H CS = H CloudSat ) [ Marchand et al , ]. New spaceborne radars such as the recently launched dual‐frequency radar on board the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory [ Hou et al , ] or the Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) on board the upcoming Earth Clouds, Aerosols, and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission [ Gelsthorpe et al , ; Donovan et al , ] are expected to achieve smaller blind zones ranging between 600 m and 1000 m above surface (depending on radar operation mode). Other proposed missions such as the Polar Precipitation Measurement Mission [ Joe et al , ] or the Aerosol/Cloud/Ecosystems (ACE) mission [ Durden et al , ] are heading to blind zones in the order of 100 to 200 m.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How does the spaceborne radar blind zone affect derived surface snowfall statistics in polar regions?

et al. 2014

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Global statistics of snowfall are currently only available from the CloudSat satellite. But CloudSat cannot provide observations of clouds and precipitation within the so‐called blind zone, which is caused by ground‐clutter contamination of the CloudSat radar and covers the last 1200 m above land/ice surface. In this study, the impact of the blind zone of CloudSat on derived snowfall statistics in polar regions is investigated by analyzing three 12 month data sets recorded by ground‐based Micro Rain Radar (MRR) at the Belgian Princess Elisabeth station in East Antarctica and at Ny‐Ålesund and Longyearbyen in Svalbard, Norway. MRR radar reflectivity profiles are investigated in respect to vertical variability in the frequency distribution, changes in the number of observed snow events, and impacts on total precipitation. Results show that the blind zone leads to reflectivity being underestimated by up to 1 dB, the number of events being altered by ±5% and the precipitation amount being underestimated by 9 to 11 percentage points. Besides investigating a blind zone of 1200 m, the impacts of a reduced blind zone of 600 m are also analyzed. This analysis will help in assessing future missions with a smaller blind zone. The reduced blind zone leads to improved representation of mean reflectivity but does not improve the bias in event numbers and precipitation amount.

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Scientific aspects of the Earth clouds, Aerosols, and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) mission

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Global observations of aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions

Global observations of aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions

How does the spaceborne radar blind zone affect derived surface snowfall statistics in polar regions?

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