Global Distribution of Cloud Top Height as Retrieved from SCIAMACHY Onboard ENVISAT Spaceborne Observations

Remote Sensing

Alexander Kokhanovsky¹  Marco Vountas² 

[1] Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, D-28334 Bremen, Germany;

关键词: clouds;    SCIAMACHY;    radiative transfer;    reflectance spectra;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rs3050836

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The spatial and temporal analysis of the SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) onboard ENVISAT global cloud top height data for 2003–2006 is presented. The cloud top height is derived using a semi-analytical cloud top height retrieval algorithm based on an asymptotic solution of the radiative transfer equation in the oxygen A-band. The analysis is valid for thick clouds only. As expected, clouds are higher in the equatorial region. The cloud altitudes decrease towards the Poles due to the general decrease of the troposphere height. The global average cloud top height as derived from SCIAMACHY measurements is 7.3 km. We also studied the planetary reflectivity R at 443 nm and found that the annual average is R = 0.49 ± 0.08 for the years analyzed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.