GCOM-C Satellite Cloud Properties at 1 km Resolution

28 geophysical variables from the SGLI sensor onboard the GCOM-C satellite, launched in December 2017, provide cloud property data. The dataset includes optical thickness, effective droplet radius, cloud top temperature and height, and cloud type classification. It is produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to improve global warming prediction accuracy.

Use Cases

• Validate climate model cloud parameterizations using CLOT_W (water cloud optical thickness) and CLOT_I (ice cloud optical thickness) fields.
• Study cloud microphysics and radiative effects by analyzing CLOR_W (water droplet effective radius) and CLER_I (ice droplet effective radius).
• Classify cloud phase and type for meteorological analysis using the CLTYPE cloud discrimination flag.
• Analyze cloud vertical structure and its impact on atmospheric dynamics with CLTH (cloud top height) and CLTT (cloud top temperature).

Strengths

• Data derived from 28 observed variables across atmosphere, land, ocean, and cryosphere subsystems.
• Provides 1 km spatial resolution for detailed cloud property analysis.
• Algorithm (CAPCOM) is optimized for the SGLI sensor characteristics and uses L2 Cloud flag classification.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is tile-based, not global continuous swath, which may create data gaps for some analyses.
• Specific row count, temporal range, and update frequency are not documented.
• Requires expertise with HDF5 format and geospatial projection (EQA) for proper data handling.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Physical variables derived from Level 1B products acquired by the SGLI sensor onboard the GCOM-C satellite.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Tile-based spatial coverage from a satellite with a 1150 km (visible) to 1400 km (infrared) swath.