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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1999

Radiative Importance of Aerosol-Cloud Interaction

Aerosol particles are input into the troposphere by biomass burning, among other sources. These aerosol palls cover large expanses of the earth's surface. Aerosols may directly scatter solar radiation back to space, thus increasing the earth's albedo and act to cool the earth's surface and atmosphere. Aerosols also contribute to the earth's energy balance indirectly. Hygroscopic aerosol act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and thus affects cloud properties. In 1977, Twomey theorized that additional available CCN would create smaller but more numerous cloud droplets in a cloud with a given amount of liquid water. This in turn would increase the cloud albedo which would scatter additional radiation back to space and create a similar cooling pattern as the direct aerosol effect. Estimates of the magnitude of the aerosol indirect effect on a global scale range from 0.0 to -4.8 W/sq m. Thus the indirect effect can be of comparable magnitude and opposite in sign to the estimates of global greenhouse gas forcing Aerosol-cloud interaction is not a one-way process. Just as aerosols have an influence on clouds through the cloud microphysics, clouds have an influence on aerosols. Cloud droplets are solutions of liquid water and CCN, now dissolved. When the cloud droplet evaporates it leaves behind an aerosol particle. This new particle does not have to have the same properties as the original CCN. In fact, studies show that aerosol particles that result from cloud processing are larger in size than the original CCN. Optical properties of aerosol particles are dependent on the size of the particles. Larger particles have a smaller backscattering fraction, and thus less incoming solar radiation will be backscattered to space if the aerosol particles are larger. Therefore, we see that aerosols and clouds modify each other to influence the radiative balance of the earth. Understanding and quantifying the spatial and seasonal patterns of the aerosol indirect forcing may have even greater consequences. Presently we know that through the use of fossil fuel and land-use changes we have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In parallel, we have seen a modest increase of global temperature in the last century. These two observations have been linked as cause and effect by climate models, but this connection is still experimentally not verified. The spatial and seasonal distribution of aerosol forcing is different from that of greenhouse gases, thus generating a different spatial fingerprint of climate change. This fingerprint was suggested as a method to identify the response of the climate system to anthropogenic forcing of greenhouse gases and aerosol. The aerosol fingerprint may be the only way to firmly establish the presence (or absence) of human impact on climate. Aerosol-cloud interaction through the indirect effect will be an important component of establishing this fingerprint.

Tsay, Si-Chee↗
NASA NTRS2008

Radiative Susceptibility of Cloudy Atmospheres to Droplet Number Perturbations: 2. Global analysis from MODIS

Global distributions of albedo susceptibility for areas covered by liquid clouds are presented for 4 months in 2005. The susceptibility estimates are based on expanded definitions presented in a companion paper and include relative cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) changes, perturbations in cloud droplet asymmetry parameter and single-scattering albedo, atmospheric/surface effects, and incorporation of the full solar spectrum. The cloud properties (optical thickness and effective radius) used as input in the susceptibility calculations come from MODIS Terra and Aqua Collection 5 gridded data. Geographical distributions of susceptibility corresponding to absolute ( absolute cloud susceptibility ) and relative ( relative cloud susceptibility ) CDNC changes are markedly different indicating that the detailed nature of the cloud microphysical perturbation is important for determining the radiative forcing associated with the first indirect aerosol effect. However, both types of susceptibility exhibit common characteristics such as significant reductions when perturbations in single-scattering properties are omitted, significant increases when atmospheric absorption and surface albedo effects are ignored, and the tendency to decrease with latitude, to be higher over ocean than over land, and to be statistically similar between the morning and afternoon MODIS overpasses. The satellite-based susceptibility analysis helps elucidate the role of present-day cloud and land surface properties in indirect aerosol forcing responses. Our realistic yet moderate CDNC perturbations yield forcings on the order of 1-2 W/sq m for cloud optical property distributions and land surface spectral albedos observed by MODIS. Since susceptibilities can potentially be computed from model fields, these results have practical application in assessing the reasonableness of model-generated estimates of the aerosol indirect radiative forcing.

Oreopoulos, Lazaros↗
NASA NTRS2021

An overview of the ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) project: aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions in the southeast Atlantic basin

Southern Africa produces almost a third of the Earth’s biomass burning (BB) aerosol particles, yet the fate of these particles and their influence on regional and global climate is poorly understood. ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) is a 5-year NASA EVS-2 (Earth Venture Suborbital-2) investigation with three intensive observation periods designed to study key atmospheric processes that determine the climate impacts of these aerosols. During the Southern Hemisphere winter and spring (June–October), aerosol particles reaching 3–5 km in altitude are transported westward over the southeast Atlantic, where they interact with one of the largest subtropical stratocumulus (Sc) cloud decks in the world. The representation of these interactions in climate models remains highly uncertain in part due to a scarcity of observational constraints on aerosol and cloud properties, as well as due to the parameterized treatment of physical processes. Three ORACLES deployments by the NASA P-3 aircraft in September 2016, August 2017, and October 2018 (totaling ~ 350 science flight hours), augmented by the deployment of the NASA ER-2 aircraft for remote sensing in September 2016 (totaling ~ 100 science flight hours), were intended to help fill this observational gap. ORACLES focuses on three fundamental science themes centered on the climate effects of African BB aerosols: (a) direct aerosol radiative effects, (b) effects of aerosol absorption on atmospheric circulation and clouds, and (c) aerosol–cloud microphysical interactions. This paper summarizes the ORACLES science objectives, describes the project implementation, provides an overview of the flights and measurements in each deployment, and highlights the integrative modeling efforts from cloud to global scales to address science objectives. Significant new findings on the vertical structure of BB aerosol physical and chemical properties, chemical aging, cloud condensation nuclei, rain and precipitation statistics, and aerosol indirect effects are emphasized, but their detailed descriptions are the subject of separate publications. The main purpose of this paper is to familiarize the broader scientific community with the ORACLES project and the dataset it produced.

Jens Redemann↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Vertical Distribution of Thin Features Over the Arctic Analysed from CALIPSO Observations: Optically Thin Clouds - Part 1

Clouds play a crucial role in the Arctic climate system. Therefore, it is essential to accurately and reliably quantify and understand cloud properties over the Arctic. It is also important to monitor and attribute changes in Arctic clouds. Here, we exploit the capability of the CALIPSO-CALIOP instrument and provide comprehensive statistics of tropospheric thin clouds, otherwise extremely difficult to monitor from passive satellite sensors.We use 4 yr of data (June 2006.May 2010) over the circumpolar Arctic, here defined as 67-82 deg. N, and characterize probability density functions of cloud base and top heights, geometrical thickness and zonal distribution of such cloud layers, separately for water and ice phases, and discuss seasonal variability of these properties. When computed for the entire study area, probability density functions of cloud base and top heights and geometrical thickness peak at 200-400, 1000-2000 and 400-800 m, respectively, for thin water clouds, while for ice clouds they peak at 6-8, 7-9 and 400-1000 m, respectively. In general, liquid clouds were often identified below 2 km during all seasons, whereas ice clouds were sensed throughout the majority of the upper troposphere and also, but to a smaller extent, below 2 km for all seasons.

DeVasthale, Abhay↗
DOE OSTI2024

EPCAPE-Partitioning Thrust-Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) Field Campaign Report

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on aerosol and cloud properties. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM)’s Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted to complement the science goals of EPCAPE and add additional in-depth measurements of aerosols and clouds at Mt. Soledad. Our campaign focused on measuring the physical, optical, and chemical properties of aerosols, trace gases, and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California (see Figure 1).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Variability of Eastern North Atlantic Summertime Marine Boundary Layer Clouds and Aerosols Across Different Synoptic Regimes Identified With Multiple Conditions

Abstract This study estimates the meteorological covariations of aerosol and marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud properties in the eastern North Atlantic (ENA) region, characterized by diverse synoptic conditions. Using a deep‐learning‐based clustering model with mid‐level and surface daily meteorological data, we identify seven distinct synoptic regimes during the summer from 2016 to 2021. Our analysis, incorporating reanalysis data and satellite retrievals, shows that surface aerosols and MBL clouds exhibit clear regime‐dependent characteristics, whereas lower tropospheric aerosols do not. This discrepancy likely arises from synoptic regimes determined by daily large‐scale conditions, which may overlook air mass histories that predominantly dictate lower tropospheric aerosol conditions. Focusing on three regimes dominated by northerly winds, we analyze the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) ENA observations on Graciosa Island in the Azores. In the subtropical anticyclone regime, fewer cumulus clouds and more single‐layer stratocumulus clouds with light drizzle are observed, along with the highest cloud droplet number concentration (Nd), surface cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and surface aerosol levels. The post‐trough regime features more broken or multi‐layer stratocumulus clouds with slightly higher surface rain rate, and lower Nd and surface CCN levels. The weak trough regime is characterized by the deepest MBL clouds, primarily cumulus and broken stratocumulus clouds, with the strongest surface rain rate and the lowest Nd, surface CCN and surface aerosol levels, indicating strong wet scavenging. These findings highlight the importance of considering the covariation of cloud and aerosol properties driven by large‐scale regimes when assessing aerosol indirect effects using observations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2003

Computation of Domain-Averaged Shortwave Irradiance by a One-Dimensional Algorithm Incorporating Correlations between Optical Thickness and Direct Incident Radiation

A one-dimensional radiative transfer algorithm that accounts for correlations between the optical thickness and the incident direct solar radiation is developed to compute the domain-averaged shortwave irradiance profile. It divides the direct irradiance into four components and treats the direct irradiance in two separate, clear and cloudy columns to account for the fact that clouds attenuate the direct irradiance more than clear-sky. The horizontal inhomogeneity of clouds in the cloudy column is treated by the gamma weighted two-stream approximation, which assumes that the optical thickness of clouds follows a gamma distribution. The algorithm inputs the cloud fraction, cumulative cloud fraction as a function of height, and a parameter expressing the shape of the probability density function of the cloud optical thickness distribution in addition to inputs required for a two-stream radiative transfer model. These cloud property inputs can be obtained using ground- and satellite-based instruments. Therefore, the algorithm can treat realistic cloud overlap features and horizontal inhomogeneity of clouds in a framework of one- dimensional radiative transfer. Heating rates computed by the algorithm using cloud fields generated by cloud resolving models agree with those computed with a Monte Carlo model. If optical properties in computational layers that divide a vertically extensive cloud are correlated, the irradiance profile computed by the algorithm further improves.

Kato, S.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Stage DX Pixel Level Cloud Product - Revised Algorithm in Native (NAT) Format (ISCCP_DX_NAT)

Since 1983 an international group of institutions has collected and analyzed satellite radiance measurements from up to five geostationary and two polar orbiting satellites to infer the global distribution of cloud properties and their diurnal, seasonal and interannual variations. The primary focus of the first phase of the project (1983-1995) was the elucidation of the role of clouds in the radiation budget (top of the atmosphere and surface). In the second phase of the project (1995 onwards) the analysis also concerns improving understanding of clouds in the global hydrological cycle. [Location=TROPOSPHERE] [Temporal_Coverage: Start_Date=1983-07-01; Stop_Date=] [Spatial_Coverage: Southernmost_Latitude=-90; Northernmost_Latitude=90; Westernmost_Longitude=-180; Easternmost_Longitude=180] [Data_Resolution: Latitude_Resolution=30 Km; Longitude_Resolution=30 Km; Temporal_Resolution=3 Hourly].

CLOUD ICE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Can We Rely on Satellite Visible/Infrared Microphysical Retrievals of Boundary Layer Clouds in Partially Cloudy Scenes? Implications for Climate Research

This study addresses the longstanding question of the reliability of gridded visible/infrared satellite cloud properties in partially cloudy scenes. By using in-situ cloud probes and airborne Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) observations, we analyze bias changes in satellite retrievals from the Spinning Enhanced Visible Infra-Red Imager (SEVIRI) geostationary sensor during the ORACLES campaign. Biases in cloud optical depth (τ) and droplet effective radius (r e ) modestly change for cloud area fraction greater than 35%. The agreement between SEVIRI and RSP r e substantially improves when the retrievals are averaged after removing pixels with τ < 3.0, yielding biases indistinguishable from overcast scenes. In addition, satellite and RSP show an excellent agreement for closed- and open-cell stratocumulus clouds, showing that the satellite retrievals capture spatial changes of r e , and confirming that satellites can faithfully reproduce real physical features for optically thick and partially cloudy scenes. We demonstrate that a simple methodology can minimize uncertainties in satellite-based climate studies.

Painemal, David [NASA Langley Research Center, Ham↗
DOE OSTI2024

Constraining effects of aerosol-cloud interaction by accounting for coupling between cloud and land surface

Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACIs) are vital for regulating Earth’s climate by influencing energy and water cycles. Yet, effects of ACI bear large uncertainties, evidenced by systematic discrepancies between observed and modeled estimates. This study quantifies a major bias in ACI determinations, stemming from conventional surface or space measurements that fail to capture aerosol at the cloud level unless the cloud is coupled with land surface. We introduce an advanced approach to determine radiative forcing of ACI by accounting for cloud-surface coupling. By integrating field observations, satellite data, and model simulations, this approach reveals a drastic alteration in aerosol vertical transport and ACI effects caused by cloud coupling. In coupled regimes, aerosols enhance cloud droplet number concentration across the boundary layer more homogeneously than in decoupled conditions, under which aerosols from the free atmosphere predominantly affect cloud properties, leading to marked cooling effects. Our findings spotlight cloud-surface coupling as a key factor for ACI quantification, hinting at potential underassessments in traditional estimates.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1992

On the Retrieval and Analysis of Multilevel Clouds

An accurate satellite retrieval of cloud properties depends upon the detection and analysis of multilayered, overlapping cloud systems that surface observations show to be common. Multiple cloud layers are often found, for instance, in frontal situations, where cirrus overlays boundary layer convective cloud or low-to mid-level stratus cloud. Surface observers (Hahan et al., 1982) indicate that over ocean in the Northern Hemisphere between 30 deg. N and 60 deg. N, 51 percent of observations are of multilevel clouds. A satellite analysis by Coakley (1983) over the Pacific Ocean finds that more than 50 percent of 500 (250 sq km) frames exhibit evidence of multilayered cloud systems. The questions addressed in this study are the following: What error is introduced when inferring the cloud pressure from a Field-Of-View (FOV) that contains some arbitrary amount of transparent cloud overlaying a lower-level black cloud, such as stratus, by making the assumption that there is only a single cloud layer in the FOV, and what may be done to improve the cloud retrieval? The CO2 slicing methods (e.g. McCleese and Wilson, 1976; Smith and Platt, 1978; Chahine, 1974) have been shown to provide accurate means of inferring cirrus cloud altitude from passive infrared radiance measurements. The CO2 techniques have been applied to radiometric data from several instruments, notably the High Resolution Infrared Radiometric Sounder (HIRS/2, hereafter referred to as HIRS), the VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) (e.g., Menzel et al., 1983; Wylie and Menzel, 1989), and most recently to the High Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) (Smith and Frey, 1990). The methods take advantage of the fact that infrared CO2 sounding channels spaced closely in wavenumber each have varying opacity to CO2, thereby causing each channel to be sensitive to a different level in the atmosphere. The techniques have been shown to be effective for single-layered, nonblack, mid- to high-level clouds such as cirrus, but are generally applied operationally to any given cloud occurrence. The CO2 slicing algorithms are most accurate for clouds than occur in a single, well-defined layer, or for multi-layered cloud cases in which the uppermost cloud layer is nearly black. Significant cloud height retrieval errors may ensue if the HIRS Field-Of-View (FOV) is cotaminated with low cloud. McCleese and Wilson (1976) have shown that the retrieved cloud height for the case of multiple cloud layers is a weighted average of the cloud heights actually present. The weight is approximately proportional to the product of the cloud heigt and the effective cloud amount. The effect of their result is that the uppermost cloud layer dominates the cloud pressure retrieval. Beyond stating that the higher cloud dominates the cloud pressure retrieval, there is no quantitative information to provide a way of estimating the errors in cloud pressure retrieval one should expect for certain common multilevel cloud situations or any suggestions on how to reduce the errors. In this paper we estimate the magnitude of the errors and use a simple algorithm to reduce the errors in optically thin cloud height retrival.

Baum, Bryan A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Impacts of an Observationally-Based Cloud Fraction and Condensate Overlap Parameterization on a GCM's Cloud Radiative Effect

It has been shown that the details of how cloud fraction overlap is treated in GCMs has substantial impact on shortwave and longwave fluxes. Because cloud condensate is also horizontally heterogeneous at GCM grid scales, another aspect of cloud overlap should in principle also be assessed, namely the vertical overlap of hydrometeor distributions. This type of overlap is usually examined in terms of rank correlations, i.e., linear correlations between hydrometeor amount ranks of the overlapping parts of cloud layers at specific separation distances. The cloud fraction overlap parameter and the rank correlation of hydrometeor amounts can be both expressed as inverse exponential functions of separation distance characterized by their respective decorrelation lengths (e-folding distances). Larger decorrelation lengths mean that hydrometeor fractions and probability distribution functions have high levels of vertical alignment. An analysis of CloudSat and CALIPSO data reveals that the two aspects of cloud overlap are related and their respective decorrelation lengths have a distinct dependence on latitude that can be parameterized and included in a GCM. In our presentation we will contrast the Cloud Radiative Effect (CRE) of the GEOS-5 atmospheric GCM (AGCM) when the observationally-based parameterization of decorrelation lengths is used to represent overlap versus the simpler cases of maximum-random overlap and globally constant decorrelation lengths. The effects of specific overlap representations will be examined for both diagnostic and interactive radiation runs in GEOS-5 and comparisons will be made with observed CREs from CERES and CloudSat (2B-FLXHR product). Since the radiative effects of overlap depend on the cloud property distributions of the AGCM, the availability of two different cloud schemes in GEOS-5 will give us the opportunity to assess a wide range of potential cloud overlap consequences on the model's climate.

Oreopoulos, Lazaros↗
NASA NTRS2019

Automatically Finding Ship-Tracks to Enable Large-Scale Analysis of Aerosol-Cloud Interactions

Ship tracks appear as long winding linear features in satellite images and are produced by aerosols from ship exhausts changing low cloud properties. They are one of the best examples of aerosol‐cloud interaction experiments. However, manually finding ship tracks from satellite data on a large scale is prohibitively costly while a large number of samples are required to improve our understanding. Here we train a deep neural network to automate finding ship tracks. The neural network model generalizes well as it not only finds ship tracks labeled by human experts but also detects those that are occasionally missed by humans. It finds more ship tracks than all previous studies combined and produces a map of ship track distributions off the California coast that matches well with known shipping traffic. Our technique will enable studying aerosol effects on low clouds using ship tracks on a large scale, which will potentially narrow the uncertainty of the aerosol‐cloud interactions.

aerosol cloud interactions↗
NASA NTRS2000

Insights on How NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Monitors Our World Environment

The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a space-based observing system comprised of a series of satellite sensors by which scientists can monitor the Earth, a Data and Information System (EOSDIS) enabling researchers worldwide to access the satellite data, and an interdisciplinary science research program to interpret the satellite data. During this year, four EOS science missions were launched, representing observations of (1) total solar irradiance, (2) Earth radiation budget, (3) land cover and land use change, (4) ocean processes (vector wind, sea surface temperature, and ocean color), (5) atmospheric processes (aerosol and cloud properties, water vapor, and temperature and moisture profiles), and (6) tropospheric chemistry. In succeeding years many more satellites will be launched that will contribute immeasurably to our understanding of the Earth's environment. In this presentation I will describe how scientists are using EOS data to examine land use and natural hazards, environmental air quality, including dust storms over the world's deserts, cloud and radiation properties, sea surface temperature, and winds over the ocean.

King, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Path to Improving Simulated Properties of Low Clouds over the Beaufort Sea using Airborne In Situ Observations of Subgrid-Scale Variability

Arctic low clouds influence the evolution of the Arctic system through their effects on radiative fluxes, boundary layer mixing, stability, turbulence, humidity, and precipitation. Unfortunately, atmospheric models and retrospective analysis (reanalysis) products struggle to accurately simulate the occurrence and properties of low clouds in the Arctic. One of the main reasons for this problem are the possible unrealistic assumptions that models/reanalyses make about the subgrid-scale (SGS) variability of meteorological properties, as well as the relationship between SGS variability and grid-scale (GS) cloud properties. We utilize cloud and thermodynamic data of low level (primarily) liquid clouds collected from two aircraft campaigns conducted over the Beaufort Sea to better understand and characterize this problem. Examining data from the September 2014 Arctic Radiation-IceBridge Sea and Ice Experiment (ARISE) airborne campaign reveals that GS cloud water variability is closely related with SGS distribution of total water (i.e. water vapor + cloud water). Multiple models/reanalyses use SGS supersaturated total water (relative to GS saturation) as a threshold for partitioning available water for condensation, and indeed we find significant correlation between GS cloud water and SGS supersaturation. However, we also find that the assumption of a static threshold of 100% saturation to be unrealistic. Empirical calculations from the ARISE data show a large sensitivity of this threshold to GS relative humidity, and so a microphysical parameterization allowing the threshold to vary according to GS thermodynamic properties may result in more realistic GS cloud water values. Finally, to determine how sensitive the ARISE-derived results are to that particular campaign, we include additional data from the First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment (FIRE)–Arctic Cloud Experiment (ACE) conducted in 1998. The inclusion of the second dataset will help with demonstrating the robustness of the results and their utility in improving the representation of Arctic clouds in models and reanalyses.

J Brant Dodson↗
NASA NTRS2003

Earth Observing System: Global Observations to Study the Earth's Environment

The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a space-based observing system comprised of a series of satellite sensors by which scientists can monitor the Earth, a Data and Information System (EOSDIS) enabling researchers worldwide to access the satellite data, and an interdisciplinary science research program to interpret the satellite data. During the last couple of years, four EOS science missions were launched, representing observations of (i) total solar irradiance, (ii) Earth radiation budget, (iii) land cover & land use change, (iv) ocean processes (vector wind, sea surface temperature, and ocean color), (v) atmospheric processes (aerosol and cloud properties, water vapor, and temperature and moisture profiles), and (vi) tropospheric chemistry. In succeeding years many more satellites will be launched that will contribute immeasurably to our understanding of the Earth's environment. In this presentation I will describe how scientists are using NASA's Earth science data to examine land use and natural hazards, environmental air quality, including: dust storms over the worlds deserts, cloud and radiation properties, sea surface temperature, and winds over the ocean, with a special emphasis on satellite observations available for studying the southern African environment.

King, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Earth Observing System: Global Observations to Study the Earth's Environment

The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a space-based observing system comprised of a series of satellite sensors by which scientists can monitor the Earth, a Data and Information System (EOSDIS) enabling researchers worldwide to access the satellite data, and an interdisciplinary science research program to interpret the satellite data. During the last couple of years, four EOS science missions were launched, representing observations of (1) total solar irradiance, (2) Earth radiation budget, (3) land cover & land use change, (4) ocean processes (vector wind, sea surface temperature, and ocean color), (5) atmospheric processes (aerosol and cloud properties, water vapor, and temperature and moisture profiles), and (6) tropospheric chemistry. In succeeding years many more satellites will be launched that will contribute immeasurably to our understanding of the Earth's environment. In this presentation I will describe how scientists are using NASA's Earth science data to examine land use and natural hazards, environmental air quality, including dust storms over the world's deserts, cloud and radiation properties, sea surface temperature, and winds over the ocean.

King, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Clouds and Radiation from the Earth Observing System

The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a space-based observing system comprised of a series of satellite sensors by which scientists can monitor the Earth, a Data and Information System (EOSDIS) enabling researchers worldwide to access the satellite data, and an interdisciplinary science research program to interpret the satellite data. During this year, four EOS science missions are scheduled for launch, representing observations of (i) total solar irradiance, (ii) Earth radiation budget, (iii) land cover & land use change, (iv) ocean processes (vector wind, sea surface temperature, and ocean color), (v) atmospheric processes (aerosol and cloud properties, water vapor, and temperature and moisture profiles), and (vi) tropospheric chemistry. In succeeding years many more satellites will be launched that will contribute immeasurably to our understanding of the Earth's environment. In this presentation we will describe how scientists are using MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), an earth-viewing cross-track scanning spectroradiometer on the Terra (AM-1) satellite, for the remote sensing of cloud and aerosol properties. MODIS scans a swath width sufficient to provide nearly complete global coverage every two days from a polar-orbiting, sun-synchronous, platform at an altitude of 705 km, and provides images in 36 spectral bands between 0.415 and 14.235 pm with spatial resolutions of 250 m (2 bands), 500 m (5 bands) and 1000 m (29 bands). These bands have been carefully selected to enable advanced studies of land, ocean, and atmosphere processes.

King, Michael D.↗