HR: 10:20h
AN: A42C-01 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: Overview of A-Train Satellite Cloud Measurements
AU: * Maring, H
EM: hal.maring@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Headquarters, 300 E St SW, Washington, DC 20024, United States
AB: NASA satellites make a wide variety of cloud measurements for climate and meteorological research and prediction. The A-Train is a constellation of satellites in coordinated low earth orbits with an extensive array of sensors making a wide variety of complementary observations of the earth system. The satellite constellation provides synergistic measurements enabling data from several different satellites/sensors to be used together to obtain comprehensive information about various key components and processes of the earth system. The A-Train consists of the following satellites and sensors currently in operation: Aqua, launched 4 May 2002 carries: Atmospheric Infrared Sounder-high spectral resolution (2378 channels) grating spectrometer. Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-15 channel microwave radiometer. Humidity Sounder for Brazil is a 4 channel microwave radiometer, which provided data until February 2003. Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS-12 channel, 6 frequency microwave radiometer. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer-36 band visible and infrared imaging spectroradiometer. Cloud's and the Earth's Radiant Energy System-3 channel scanning visible and infrared radiometers. Aura, launched 15 July 2004 carries: High Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder-multi channel infrared radiometer. Microwave Limb Sounder-multi channel microwave radiometer. Ozone Monitoring Instrument-visible and ultra violet hyperspectral imaging spectrometers. Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer-high-resolution, infrared Fourier transform spectrometer. Polarization & Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Sciences coupled with Observations from a Lidar-launched 18 December 2004 by the French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and carries a polarimeter. CloudSat and CALIPSO launched together 28 April 2005. CloudSat-US/Canadian cooperative project carries a 94 GHz nadir cloud profiling radar. Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations-US/French mission carrying:. Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization-532 (polarized)and 1064 nm backscatter lidar Wide Field Camera-single channel (620-670 nm) nadir view imager. Imaging Infrared Radiometer-3 channel, nadir viewing, imaging radiometer. Two more satellites will be joining the A-Train: Orbiting Carbon Observatory-to launch in early 2009 and will carry a single instrument comprised of 3 high-resolution infrared grating spectrometers. Glory to launch in early 2009 will carry: Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor-which will measure 9 channels from 410 to 2200 nm at angles ranging from +60° to -80° with respect to nadir. Cloud Cameras-2 high spatial resolution cameras. Total Irradiance Monitor-high accuracy and precision solar radiometer The A-Train satellites fly in formation independently in polar orbits 705 km above Earth at an inclination of 98 degrees and cross over the equator a few minutes apart at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time. A-Train cloud measurements are made primarily by visible, infrared and microwave radiometers. Retrievals using these observations provide measurements of cloud areal and vertical distributions, properties, and radiative effects. Optically thin clouds, multi-layer clouds and clouds over cold bright surfaces, polar regions, represent particular challenges for passive sensors. Recently, measurements by active sensors such as lidar and radar provide detailed vertical distributions of clouds and cloud properties, complementing the passive sensors.
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0320 Cloud physics and chemistry
DE: 0321 Cloud/radiation interaction
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting