Global Ice Cloud Optical Thickness from ADEOS-II Satellite

JAXA's ADEOS-II/GLI L3 product provides monthly global maps of ice cloud optical thickness, retrieved using an emission method from multi-channel radiance data. The dataset offers a spatial resolution of 1/4 degree and includes both 1-month and 16-day statistical periods. This product, Version 2, was generated from observations by the GLI sensor onboard the Midori II satellite, with data last updated in October 2003.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of ice cloud optical thickness to study cloud-climate feedback mechanisms.
• Validate and calibrate climate model outputs for cloud radiative forcing using the 1/4-degree resolution global maps.
• Investigate seasonal or interannual variability in ice cloud properties using the 1-month and 16-day statistical periods.
• Apply the emission method retrieval, based on channels 30, 35, and 36, to compare with other cloud optical thickness algorithms.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage at a 1/4-degree resolution.
• Data includes both 1-month and 16-day statistical aggregation periods.
• Product is derived from a multi-channel optical sensor (GLI) with a 1600 km swath.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with the last update in 2003.
• The physical quantity unit for optical thickness is listed as 'none', which may require clarification for analysis.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and sample data are unavailable for assessing volume.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Retrieved from the GLI sensor onboard the ADEOS-II (Midori II) satellite using an emission method on multi-channel radiance (channels 30, 35, 36), projected onto a map from Level 3 binned products.

Time Range

Coverage corresponds to the ADEOS-II operational period; specific start date unknown, last data from 2003.

Freshness

Data last updated 2003-10-25; no ongoing update frequency specified.

Geography

Global coverage.