Articles | Volume 18, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3095-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3095-2025
Research article
 | 
14 Jul 2025
Research article |  | 14 Jul 2025

Radiative closure assessment of retrieved cloud and aerosol properties for the EarthCARE mission: the ACMB-DF product

Howard W. Barker, Jason N. S. Cole, Najda Villefranque, Zhipeng Qu, Almudena Velázquez Blázquez, Carlos Domenech, Shannon L. Mason, and Robin J. Hogan

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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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Cited articles

Barker, H. W., Korolev, A. V., Hudak, D. R., Strapp, J. W., Strawbridge, K. B., and Wolde, M.: A comparison between CloudSat and aircraft data for a multilayer, mixed phase cloud system during the Canadian CloudSat-CALIPSO Validation Project, J. Geophys. Res., 113, D00A16, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JD009971, 2008. 
Barker, H. W., Jerg, M. P., Wehr, T., Kato, S., Donovan, D., and Hogan, R.: A 3D Cloud Construction Algorithm for the EarthCARE satellite mission, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 137, 1042–1058, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.824, 2011. 
Barker, H. W., Cole, J. N. S., and Shephard, M.: Estimation of Errors associated with the EarthCARE 3D Scene Construction Algorithm, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 140, 2260–2271, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2294, 2014. 
Barker, H. W., Cole, J. N. S., Domenech, C., Shephard, M., Sioris, C., Tornow, F., and Wehr, T.: Assessing the Quality of Active-Passive Satellite Retrievals using Broadband Radiances, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 141, 1294–1305, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2438, 2015. 
Barker, H. W., Qu, Z., Belair, S., Leroyer, S., Milbrandt, J. A., and Vaillancourt, P. A.: Scaling Properties of Observed and Simulated Satellite Visible Radiances, J. Geophys. Res., 122, 9413–9429, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JD027146, 2017. 
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Short summary
Measurements made by three instruments aboard EarthCARE are used to retrieve estimates of cloud and aerosol properties. A radiative closure assessment of these retrievals is performed by the ACMB-DF processor. Radiative transfer models acting on retrieved information produce broadband radiances commensurate with measurements made by EarthCARE’s broadband radiometer. Measured and modelled radiances for small domains are compared, and the likelihood of them differing by 10 W m2 defines the closure.
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