Global Ice Cloud Optical Thickness from ADEOS-II Satellite

16-day binned statistics from 2003 provide cloud optical thickness measurements for ice clouds derived from the GLI sensor's reflectance method. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) produced this dataset from the ADEOS-II (Midori II) satellite to monitor Earth's environment. It offers global coverage at a 1/4-degree spatial resolution.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of ice cloud optical thickness using the 1/4-degree binned global data.
• Study temporal changes in cloud microphysics over 16-day periods using the sum, square sum, max, and min pixel statistics.
• Validate and calibrate climate models by comparing modeled cloud optical properties against the satellite-derived reflectance measurements from channels 13, 19, 30, and 35.
• Investigate the relationship between ice cloud properties and broader climate variables using the global, binned geospatial data.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage at a 1/4-degree resolution.
• Data includes multiple statistical measures per pixel: sum, square sum, max, and min.
• Derived from a dedicated sensor (GLI) on the ADEOS-II satellite with a 1600 km swath.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to the ADEOS-II operational period, primarily 2003.
• Product is specific to ice clouds using a reflectance method, not all cloud types.
• Data is provided as binned 16-day statistics, not raw, high-frequency observations.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Remote sensing data from the GLI (Global Imager) sensor onboard the ADEOS-II satellite, processed using a reflectance method on specific channels.

Time Range

Data from 2003, with 16-day statistical bins.

Freshness

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Geography

Global.