New Directions: Emerging satellite observations of above-cloud aerosols and direct radiative forcingq

Spaceborne lidar and passive sensors with multi-wavelength, multi-angle and polarization capabilities onboard the A-Train provide unprecedented opportunities of observing above-cloud aerosols and direct radiative forcing. Significant progress has been made in recent years in exploring these new aerosol remote sensing capabilities and generating unique datasets. The emerging observations will advance the understanding of aerosol climate forcing.