Global Cloud Liquid Water Path from ADEOS-II Satellite

Satellite-derived maps of cloud liquid water path, a key microphysical property, are provided at a 1/4-degree spatial resolution with a 16-day statistical period. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) produced this data from the GLI sensor onboard the ADEOS-II (Midori II) satellite, with the last recorded update in October 2003. It is generated using a reflection method applied to specific GLI sensor channels to isolate cloud-reflected solar radiation.

Use Cases

• Validate global climate model simulations of cloud liquid water path using the 1/4-degree gridded geospatial data.
• Analyze seasonal and interannual variability of cloud water content over oceans using the 16-day composite time series.
• Study the relationship between cloud microphysics and atmospheric dynamics by correlating liquid water path values with other satellite-derived atmospheric variables.
• Assess the performance of the cloud retrieval reflection method by comparing its outputs with data from other satellite sensors or in-situ measurements.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage generated for each map unit.
• Data is derived from a dedicated optical sensor (GLI) with a 1600 km swath, designed for environmental monitoring.
• Product uses a specific retrieval method applicable to a broad range of water cloud types, from semi-transparent to thick.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited, with the last update in 2003, corresponding to the operational lifespan of the ADEOS-II satellite.
• The spatial resolution of 1/4 degree may be too coarse for studying cloud processes at regional or mesoscales.
• The dataset is specific to water clouds, excluding ice and mixed-phase clouds.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Derived from radiance measurements in channels 13, 30, and 35 of the GLI sensor onboard the ADEOS-II satellite, using a reflection method to estimate cloud liquid water path.

Time Range

Coverage corresponds to the ADEOS-II mission period, with a product version from 2003.

Freshness

Data generation ended in 2003; this is a historical archive.

Geography

Global.