Description

CAL_LID_L3_APro_CloudySkyOpaque-Standard-V3-10 data are CALIPSO Lidar Level 3 aerosol profile Cloudy Sky Opaque data. The CALIPSO lidar level 3 aerosol data product reports monthly mean profiles of aerosol optical properties on a uniform spatial grid. It is intended to be a tropospheric product and so data are only reported below altitudes of 12 km. All level 3 parameters are derived from the version 3 CALIOP level 2 aerosol profile product and have been quality screened prior to averaging. The primary quantities reported are vertical profiles of aerosol extinction coefficient at 532 nm and its vertical integral, the aerosol optical depth (AOD). Aerosol type and spatial distribution information are also included. Averaged profile data is reported for all aerosols, regardless of type, and for mineral dust aerosol only. Classification of dust is based on the aerosol type flags in the level 2 profile product. To keep level 3 file sizes manageable, there are four different types of level 3 files produced, depending on the sky condition and the temporal coverage of the data prior to averaging: All Sky Daytime, All Sky Nighttime, Combined (cloud free + above cloud) Daytime, Combined (cloudfree + above cloud) Nighttime. Description of the Four Sky Conditions 1) All Sky: All quality screened aerosol is included when deriving statistics, whether from cloudy or cloud free columns. 2) Cloud Free: Only quality screened aerosol optical depths in cloud free columns are included in the statistics. Reported for AOD only. 3) Above Cloud: Only quality screened aerosol in cloudy columns and located above the highest cloud layer are included in the statistics. Reported for AOD only. 4) Combined: Quality screened aerosol in cloud free columns and above clouds are included in the statistics. This selectively excludes aerosol retrieved beneath cloud. Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) was launched on April 28, 2006 to study the impact of clouds and aerosols on the Earth's radiation budget and climate. It flies in the international A-Train constellation for coincident Earth observations. The CALIPSO satellite comprises three instruments, the Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), the Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR), and theWide Field Camera (WFC). CALIPSO is a joint satellite mission between NASA and the French Agency, CNES.

DOI

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Resources and Documentation

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Earthdata Forum

PROFESSIONAL HOME PAGE

ICARE Data and Services Center Home Page

PROJECT HOME PAGE

CALIPSO Project Home Page

NASA Mission Page for CALIPSO

French (CNES) CALIPSO Home Page

NASA Mission Overview of CALIPSO

VIEW RELATED INFORMATION

ANOMALIES

• CALIPSO Tilt Mode Geometry Anomaly

DATA CITATION POLICY

• How to cite ASDC data

GENERAL DOCUMENTATION

• CALIPSO - List of project documentation (Data Products Catalog and ATBDs)
• CALIPSO Data Release Summary Statement
• ICARE Programmers Toolbox
• Links to tools available through the ASDC

HOW-TO

• CALIPSO - Data User's Guide - Browse Image Tutorial

MICRO ARTICLE

• CALIPSO: Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations Fact Sheet

PROCESSING HISTORY

• CALIPSO - Data Availability Site

PRODUCT USAGE

• Overview of CALIPSO Data Product Maturity

PRODUCTION HISTORY

• CALIPSO Products Overview

PUBLICATIONS

• CALIPSO - List of publications

USER FEEDBACK PAGE

• CALIPSO Data User’s Guide - Frequently Asked Questions

USER'S GUIDE

• CALIPSO Data User’s Guide

Keywords

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