Global Water Cloud Optical Thickness from ADEOS-II Satellite

Version 2 cloud optical thickness data for water clouds is derived from the GLI sensor onboard the ADEOS-II satellite. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) produced this global dataset with a 0.25-degree spatial resolution and a 4-day statistical period. Data collection ended after the satellite's mission concluded in 2003.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of cloud optical thickness to study its role in Earth's radiation budget.
• Validate climate model cloud parameterizations using the 4-day composite global maps.
• Investigate correlations between cloud optical thickness and other GLI-derived parameters like cloud effective particle radius.
• Study temporal changes in cloud properties over the ADEOS-II mission period for climate research.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage with a consistent 0.25-degree resolution.
• Data derived from specific GLI sensor channels (13, 30, 35) for a targeted physical retrieval.
• Standardized HDF format and EQR map projection facilitate analysis.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to the ADEOS-II operational period, ending in 2003.
• Product is specific to water clouds, excluding ice or mixed-phase clouds.
• The 4-day composite period may smooth out short-term cloud variability.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Retrieved from reflected solar and infrared radiation measurements by the Global Imager (GLI) sensor on the ADEOS-II satellite.

Time Range

Covers the ADEOS-II mission period, culminating in 2003.

Freshness

Final update was 2003-10-25; dataset is historical.

Geography

Global coverage.