Global Monthly Cloud Optical Thickness Maps from ADEOS-II Satellite

Monthly and 16-day global maps of cloud optical thickness for water clouds, derived from the GLI sensor onboard the ADEOS-II satellite. The data is produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and provides representative values at a 1/4-degree spatial resolution. The dataset was last updated in October 2003, corresponding to the operational period of the ADEOS-II mission.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial and temporal patterns of the cloud optical thickness feature to study cloud-climate interactions.
• Validate climate model outputs by comparing simulated cloud optical properties against the satellite-derived maps.
• Investigate regional correlations between the retrieved cloud optical thickness and other atmospheric variables like sea surface temperature.
• Use the 1/4-degree gridded geospatial data as an input for Earth system models requiring cloud parameterization.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage for comprehensive climate studies.
• Data available at two temporal aggregations: monthly and 16-day statistics.
• Product is at Version 2, indicating a processed and refined dataset.

Limitations

• Data is from 2003, limiting analysis to historical conditions and not current climate.
• Specific row/column counts and sample size for statistical robustness are unknown.
• Limited to water clouds, excluding ice or mixed-phase cloud optical properties.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Retrieved from the GLI (Global Imager) sensor on the ADEOS-II satellite using reflection method with channels 13, 30, and 35, then processed to Level 3 binned and mapped products.

Time Range

Corresponds to the ADEOS-II mission operational period, circa 2003.

Freshness

Last updated 2003-10-25; dataset is historical with no ongoing updates expected.

Geography

Global.