Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
AMT
Articles | Volume 18, issue 14
Articles | Volume 18, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3267-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-3267-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 18, issue 14
Research article
 | 
17 Jul 2025
Research article |  | 17 Jul 2025

Optimizing cloud optical parameterizations in Radiative Transfer for TOVS (RTTOV v12.3) for data assimilation of satellite visible reflectance data: an assessment using observed and synthetic images

Yongbo Zhou, Tianrui Cao, and Lijian Zhu

Data sets

The processed data for evaluating cloud optical parameterizations in RTTOV Yongbo Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14642334

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present Hans Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.bd0915c6

ERA5 hourly data on pressure levels from 1940 to present Hans Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47

Fengyun satellite data portal National Satellite Meteorological Center http://satellite.nsmc.org.cn/PortalSite/Data/DataView.aspx?currentculture=zh-CN

Model code and software

RTTOV (Radiative Transfer for TOVS) - Version 12 NWP SAF https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/software/rttov/rttov-v12/

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Short summary
Cloud optical parameterizations (COPs) in Radiative Transfer for TOVS are evaluated by comparing observed and synthetic visible satellite images. The optimal COP for liquid water cloud is parameterized in terms of effective diameter (Deff) and the COP for ice cloud developed by the Space Science and Engineering Center, with Deff for ice cloud parameterized in terms of ice water content and temperature. The findings will benefit the remote sensing and data assimilation community.
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