Global Ice Cloud Extinction And Water Content Histograms

CALIPSO satellite lidar data provides monthly global distributions of ice cloud extinction and ice water content on a uniform grid. This Level 3 product is derived from CALIOP instrument Level 2 profiles and was produced by the NASA-CNES CALIPSO mission. Data collection for this specific version ended in December 2016 due to instrument degradation.

Use Cases

• Analyze global spatial patterns of ice_cloud_extinction histograms to validate climate model cloud parameterizations.
• Study temporal trends in ice_water_content histograms over the 2006-2016 period for climate change impact assessments.
• Correlate ice cloud properties from the uniform spatial grid with other A-Train constellation satellite observations for multi-instrument studies.
• Use monthly averaged extinction data to calibrate or evaluate other satellite or ground-based remote sensing products.

Strengths

• Data spans a multi-year period from the satellite's 2006 launch through 2016.
• Provides global spatial coverage on a uniform grid for consistent analysis.
• Derived from the specialized CALIOP lidar instrument, offering direct vertical profiling of clouds.

Limitations

• Data generation for this version ended in December 2016 and is not updated, creating a temporal gap.
• Known negative impact on data quality from laser energy degradation starting in September 2016.
• Product relies on specific Level 2 inputs and algorithms, which may be superseded by newer versions.

Provenance

Source

NASA and French space agency CNES CALIPSO mission, processed by LARC_CLOUD.

Collection Method

Derived from Level 2, 5km cloud profile products from the CALIOP lidar instrument, averaged to monthly Level 3 histograms.

Time Range

From CALIPSO launch in April 2006 through December 2016.

Freshness

Data product is static; final version covers up to December 2016.

Geography

Global coverage.