EarthCARE - Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer

Observation target of EarthCARE

Clouds can appear near the ground to as high as 10,000 meters and in a variety of types, sometimes in multiple layers. The time of occurrence and temporal variation of clouds are unique to each type of cloud, as are the physical characteristics of cloud particles. The effect of clouds on the radiation budget and the presence of aerosols influence and change these characteristics. Cloud behavior in the atmosphere is truly complex, and there is much that is not understood by the scientific community.

Scientific understanding of the radiative properties of clouds and aerosols requires a collection of data on the following phenomena of clouds and aerosols:

Dissipation and absorption characteristics of aerosols

Global cloud structure, including cloud shape and overlap (top and bottom)

Cloud moisture content, particle size and shape, and structure at the microscopic level

Looking up, we find clouds of various shapes and sizes. When the sun sets, the three-dimensional structure of clouds often appears as beautiful changes in color brilliance and shading, and they appear with various thicknesses, heights, and overlapping patterns.

The information used for EarthCARE observations to find the radiative properties due to clouds and aerosols can be summarized by the following:

Aerosol distribution and properties

Vertical profiles of aerosol layers and their dissipation coefficients and boundary layer heights
Presence of absorbent and non-absorbent aerosols of anthropogenic and natural origin

Cloud distribution and characteristics

Boundary altitude (the interface at the cloud-top and -bottom altitude) in the vertical profile, including cloud overlap

Vertical velocity for estimating cloud convective motion and ice crystal settling

Rainfall intensity in drizzle and light rain

Radiance of solar and terrestrial radiation at the top of the atmosphere measured in broadband and narrowband