Aerosol vertical profile data collected by the CALIPSO satellite's CALIOP lidar instrument. The dataset is produced by NASA and the French space agency CNES, with observations beginning in 2006 and continuing after a 2018 orbital adjustment. It provides a long-term record for studying the impact of aerosols on Earth's climate.
Use Cases
- Analyze vertical aerosol extinction profiles to model atmospheric radiative forcing.
- Track the spatial and temporal distribution of aerosol layers for climate trend analysis.
- Validate atmospheric transport models using geolocated aerosol feature data.
- Study aerosol-cloud interactions by correlating aerosol profile data with co-located cloud observations.
Strengths
- Long-term data record spanning from the satellite launch in 2006.
- Data from a dedicated, space-based lidar instrument (CALIOP) providing vertical profiles.
- Joint mission between NASA and CNES, implying a high standard of calibration and validation.
Limitations
- Spatial coverage is limited to the satellite's ground track, not global continuous coverage.
- Data product complexity may require specialized knowledge of lidar remote sensing for correct interpretation.
- Instrument operation ended in August 2023, limiting future data collection.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA's Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).
- Collection Method
- Collected by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument aboard the CALIPSO satellite.
- Time Range
- From June 2006, with a major orbital change in September 2018, through August 2023.
- Freshness
- Data product version last updated in June 2023, but primary data collection ended in 2023.
- Geography
- Global coverage along the satellite's orbital track.