Validation of satellite-based cloud phase distributions using global-scale in situ airborne observations

Wang, D., C.A. Yang, and M. Diao (2024), Validation of satellite-based cloud phase distributions using global-scale in situ airborne observations, Earth and Space Science, 11, e2023EA003355, doi:10.1029/2023EA003355.
Abstract

Understanding distributions of cloud thermodynamic phases is important for accurately representing cloud radiative effects and cloud feedback in a changing climate. Satellite‐based cloud phase data have been frequently used to compare with climate models, yet few studies validated them against in situ observations at a near‐global scale. This study aims to validate three satellite‐based cloud phase products using a compositive in situ airborne data set developed from 11 flight campaigns. Latitudinal‐altitudinal cross sections of cloud phase occurrence frequencies are examined. The Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) show the most similar vertical profiles of ice phase frequencies compared with in situ observations. The CloudSat data overestimate mixed‐phase frequencies up to 15 km but provide better sampling through cloud layers than lidar data. The DARDAR (raDAR/liDAR) data show a sharp transition between ice and liquid phase and overestimate ice phase frequency at most altitudes and latitudes. The satellite data are further evaluated for various latitudes, longitudes, and seasons, which show higher ice phase frequency in the extratropics in their respective wintertime and smaller impacts from longitudinal variations. The Southern Ocean shows a thicker mixing region where liquid and ice phases have similar frequencies compared with tropics and Northern Hemisphere (NH) extratropics. Two comparison methods with different spatiotemporal windows show similar results, which demonstrates the statistical robustness of these comparisons. Overall, this study develops a near global‐scale in situ observational data set to assess the accuracy of satellite‐based cloud phase products and investigates the key factors affecting the distributions of cloud phases.

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Research Program
Atmospheric Composition
Mission
CALIPSO
CloudSat/CALIPSO
Funding Sources
NASA ACCDAM Grant ROSES‐2020 80NSSC21K1457; US National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (OPP) Grant 1744965; SJSU Division of Research and Innovation award number 22‐LUG‐08‐006; San Jose State University (SJSU) Walker Fellowship

 

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