Version 4-51 of the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) Lidar Level 2 Cloud Profile product. The data was collected by the CALIOP instrument on the CALIPSO satellite, a joint mission between NASA and the French CNES. CALIPSO was launched in April 2006 and collected data as part of the A-Train constellation from June 2006 to September 2018.
Use Cases
- Analyzing vertical cloud profiles, including cloud top height and cloud base height, to study cloud structure and distribution.
- Investigating cloud optical properties, such as cloud optical depth and backscatter coefficients, for climate modeling.
- Studying the spatial and temporal co-variation of clouds and aerosols using CALIOP's orthogonal polarization measurements.
- Validating and improving global climate models by comparing simulated cloud fields with observed lidar profiles.
- Examining long-term trends in cloud cover and properties from the 2006-2018 A-Train observation period.
Strengths
- Data product represents a mature, version 4-51 processing standard.
- Provides high-resolution vertical profiles of cloud properties from a dedicated spaceborne lidar.
- Over 12 years of continuous observations from the A-Train constellation (2006-2018).
- Joint mission provenance from NASA and CNES ensures authoritative data collection.
Limitations
- Specific row count, column details, and sample size for the profile data are unknown.
- Data collection from the primary A-Train formation ended in September 2018, limiting temporal recency for that phase.
- Potential for data gaps or instrument-specific biases inherent to satellite-based lidar measurements.
Provenance
- Source
- NASA's Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center (LARC_ASDC).
- Collection Method
- Data collected by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument aboard the CALIPSO satellite.
- Time Range
- Satellite launched April 2006; primary A-Train observation period from June 13, 2006, to September 13, 2018.
- Freshness
- Product metadata was last updated in June 2023, though primary data collection ended in 2018.
- Geography
- Global coverage from the CALIPSO satellite's sun-synchronous orbit.