Global Monthly Cloud Liquid Water Path from ADEOS-II Satellite

Global monthly maps of cloud liquid water path derived from the GLI sensor onboard the ADEOS-II satellite. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) produced this dataset, which provides representative values at a 1/4-degree spatial resolution. Data generation and updates were active around the satellite's operational period, with this specific product version released in October 2003.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial and temporal patterns of the cloud liquid water path feature to study global cloud climatology.
• Validate and calibrate climate model outputs for cloud microphysical properties using the gridded, monthly-averaged data.
• Investigate the relationship between cloud liquid water path and other atmospheric variables in climate change research.
• Use the 1/4-degree resolution geospatial maps as input for regional atmospheric studies or data assimilation systems.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage enables worldwide climate analysis.
• Data is provided at a consistent 1/4-degree spatial resolution for uniform mapping.
• Product includes both 1-month and 16-day statistical periods for temporal analysis.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with the last update recorded in October 2003.
• The method is specifically applicable to water clouds, excluding ice clouds.
• Specific sample size, row count, and data volume metrics are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Derived from Level 3 binned products of reflected solar radiation measurements from the GLI sensor channels 13, 30, and 35 onboard the ADEOS-II satellite.

Time Range

Covers the operational period of the ADEOS-II satellite (launched 2002).

Freshness

Last updated on 2003-10-25; no ongoing update frequency specified.

Geography

Global coverage.