Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-141
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-141
27 Aug 2024
 | 27 Aug 2024
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal AMT.

Retrieving cloud base height and geometric thickness using the oxygen A-band channel of GCOM-C/SGLI

Takashi M. Nagao, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Makoto Kuji

Abstract. Measurements with a 763 nm channel, located within the oxygen A-band and equipped on the Second-generation Global Imager (SGLI) onboard the JAXA’s Global Change Observation Mission – Climate (GCOM-C) satellite, have the potential to retrieve cloud base height (CBH) and cloud geometric thickness (CGT) through passive remote sensing. This study implemented an algorithm to retrieve the CBH using the SGLI 763 nm channel in combination with several other SGLI channels in the visible, shortwave infrared, and thermal infrared regions. In addition to CBH, the algorithm can simultaneously retrieve other key cloud properties, including cloud optical thickness (COT), cloud effective radius, ice COT fraction as the cloud thermodynamic phase, cloud top height (CTH), and CGT. Moreover, the algorithm can be seamlessly applied to global clouds comprised of liquid, ice, and mixed phases. The SGLI-retrieved CBH exhibited quantitative consistency with CBH data obtained from the ground-based ceilometer network, ship-borne ceilometer, satellite-borne radar and lidar observations, as evidenced by sufficiently high correlations and small biases. These results provide practical evidence that the retrieval of CBH is indeed possible using the SGLI 763 nm channel. Moreover, the results lend credence to the future use of SGLI CBH data, including the estimation of the surface downward longwave radiative flux from clouds. Nevertheless, issues remain that must be addressed to enhance the value of SGLI-derived cloud retrieval products. These include the systematic bias of SGLI CTH related to cirrus clouds and the bias of SGLI CBH caused by multi-layer clouds.

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Takashi M. Nagao, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Makoto Kuji

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on amt-2024-141', Luca Lelli, 12 Sep 2024
  • RC1: 'Comment on amt-2024-141', Anonymous Referee #2, 18 Sep 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on amt-2024-141', Anonymous Referee #3, 18 Sep 2024
  • RC3: 'Comment on amt-2024-141', Anonymous Referee #4, 18 Sep 2024
  • RC4: 'Comment on amt-2024-141', Anonymous Referee #5, 18 Sep 2024
Takashi M. Nagao, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Makoto Kuji
Takashi M. Nagao, Kentaroh Suzuki, and Makoto Kuji

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Short summary
In satellite remote sensing, estimating cloud base height (CBH) is more challenging than estimating cloud top height because the cloud base is obscured by the cloud itself. We developed an algorithm using the specific channel (known as the oxygen A-band channel) of the SGLI instrument on JAXA’s GCOM-C satellite to estimate CBH together with other cloud properties. This algorithm can provide global distributions of CBH across various cloud types, including liquid, ice, and mixed-phase clouds.