Satellites using different orbits have led to advances in weather prediction and environmental science. We introduce the Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGO) as a novel orbit for Earth observation and contrast it with other orbits. Key advantages are presented here for observing atmospheric composition, but extend to other fields in which the area of interest reaches to the high latitudes of both hemispheres, such as surface imaging.

This study presents a novel satellite approach to retrieve the vertical distribution of aerosol chemical species in the atmosphere. By combining spaceborne LIDAR and polarimetric observations, it distinguishes major natural and anthropogenic chemical particle species and their optical properties. Tests with realistic simulations show accurate retrieval of dust, pollution, and sea salt layers, enhancing global monitoring of aerosols relevant to air quality and climate.

This paper assesses biases in the 1064 nm calibration of the Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) due to signal attenuation differences at 1064 and 532 nm caused by stratospheric aerosols. Multi-channel measurements from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment suggest the bias ranges from 1 %–2 % for background conditions to over 5 % for high aerosol loads. Implications for CALIOP 1064 nm extinction retrievals and cascading errors in multi-layer scenes are discussed.

We document air and ship born measurements of the vertical distribution of pollution and biomass burning aerosol particles transported within the Maritime Continent's monsoonal flows for 1000s of kilometers, and yet still exhibit intricate patterns around clouds near the ocean's surface. Findings demonstrate that, while aerosol transport occurs near the surface, there is heterogeneity in particle extinction that must be considered for both in situ observations and satellite retrievals.

NASA's CALIPSO satellite mission observed aerosols (airborne particles) globally from 2006 to 2023. Its final data products update improves its aerosol optical parameters over oceans by adjusting for regional and seasonal differences in a new measurement-model synergistic approach. This results in a more realistic aerosol characterization, specifically near coastlines (where sea salt mixes with pollution), with potential impacts to future studies of science applications (e.g., climate effects).