CALIPSO Lidar Level 2 Blowing Snow - Greenland data product reports the distribution of blowing snow properties over Greenland based on back-scatter retrievals from the CALIOP instrument. The dataset is produced by the NASA and CNES joint CALIPSO mission, with data collection starting from the satellite's launch in April 2006. Specific operational periods include its time in the A-Train constellation from June 2006 to September 2018.
Use Cases
- Analyzing the spatial and temporal distribution of blowing snow events over Greenland using back-scatter retrievals.
- Correlating blowing snow occurrence with seasonal ice melt data from other satellite missions in the A-Train constellation.
- Validating and improving climate model parameterizations for surface wind-driven snow transport.
- Studying the impact of blowing snow on the regional radiation budget by linking its properties to aerosol optical depth.
Strengths
- Data collected by the dedicated CALIOP lidar instrument, providing vertical profile information.
- Over 12 years of coincident Earth observations as part of the A-Train constellation from 2006 to 2018.
- Product is a specific Level 2 geophysical retrieval, indicating processed, science-ready data.
Limitations
- Specific row count, column details, and sample data are unavailable for assessment.
- Data collection for this product may be limited to the Greenland region, reducing global applicability.
- The primary data collection period ended in 2018, limiting analysis of recent climate trends.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA and the French space agency CNES joint CALIPSO satellite mission.
- Collection Method
- Collected by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument via satellite remote sensing.
- Time Range
- From the satellite launch in April 2006, with specific A-Train operations from June 13, 2006, to September 13, 2018.
- Freshness
- Metadata was last updated in June 2023, but the underlying data collection time range is older.
- Geography
- Greenland.