GRAPE: Global Cloud and Aerosol Satellite Retrieval Dataset

GRAPE is a global satellite-derived dataset of cloud and aerosol properties from the ATSR-2 and AATSR instruments. It contains retrieved parameters including cloud optical depth, aerosol optical depth, cloud phase, particle size, top pressure, fraction, and ice/water path with associated error measurements. The dataset was developed for comparison with existing climatologies and is funded by the NERC CWVC Programme and maintained by the National Centre for Earth Observation.

Use Cases

• Validating and contrasting cloud climatologies based on different instruments and retrieval algorithms.
• Analyzing global trends in aerosol optical depth for climate modeling.
• Studying cloud microphysical properties like particle size and phase for weather and climate research.
• Assessing cloud top pressure and fraction for atmospheric energy budget studies.

Strengths

• Includes data from two satellite instruments (ATSR-2 and AATSR), suggesting a multi-mission time series.
• Contains associated error measurements for key atmospheric parameters, which supports uncertainty analysis.
• Developed within a national research center (NCEO) and funded by a directed research programme (NERC CWVC), indicating institutional support.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided across all sources.
• The listed last update date (2026-07-08) is in the future, creating a conflict regarding data freshness and reliability.

Provenance

Source

Centre for Environmental Data Analysis / National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO)

Collection Method

Physical retrieval from Along Track Scanning Radiometer 2 (ATSR-2) and Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) satellite missions.

Time Range

The entire duration of the ATSR-2 mission (aboard ERS-2); also includes AATSR data.

Freshness

2026-07-08 (Note: This date is in the future, creating a conflict)

Geography

Global