Interpretation of MODIS Cloud Images by CloudSat/CALIPSO Cloud Vertical Profiles

Abstract:

Clouds observed by passive remote-sensing imager (Aqua-MODIS) are collocated to cloud vertical profiles observed by active profiling sensors (CloudSat radar and CALIPSO lidar) at the pixel-scale. By comparing different layers of cloud types classified in the 2B-CLDCLASS-LIDAR product from CloudSat+CALIPSO to those cloud properties observed by MODIS, we evaluate the occurrence frequencies of cloud types and cloud-overlap in CloudSat+CALIPSO for each MODIS cloud regime defined by cloud optical depth (τ) and cloud-top pressure (P) histograms.

We find that about 70% of MODIS clear sky agrees with the clear category in CloudSat+CALIPSO; whereas the remainder is either single layer (~25%) cirrus (Ci), low-level cumulus (Cu), stratocumulus (Sc), or multi-layer (<5%) clouds in CloudSat+CALIPSO. Under MODIS cloudy conditions, 60%, 28%, and 8% of the occurrences show single-, double-, and triple-layer clouds, respectively in CloudSat+CALIPSO. When MODIS identifies single-layer clouds, 50–60% of the MODIS low-level clouds are categorized as stratus (Sc) in CloudSat+CALIPSO. Over the tropics, ~70% of MODIS high and optically thin clouds (considered as cirrus in the histogram) is also identified as Ci in CloudSat+CALIPSO, and ~40% of MODIS high and optically thick clouds (considered as convective in the histogram) agrees with CloudSat+CALIPSO deep convections (DC). Over mid-latitudes these numbers drop to 45% and 10%, respectively. The best agreement occurs in tropical single-layer cloud regimes, where 90% of MODIS high-thin clouds are identified as Ci by CloudSat+CALIPSO and 60% of MODIS high-thick clouds are identified as DC. Worst agreement is found for multi-layer clouds, where cirrus on top of low- and mid-level clouds in MODIS are frequently categorized as high-thick clouds by passive imaging – among these only 5–12% are DC in CloudSat+CALIPSO. It is encouraging that both MODIS low-level clouds (regardless of optical thickness) and high-level thin clouds are consistently classified by CloudSat+CALIPSO as Sc and Ci, respectively. MODIS mid-level clouds, on the other hand, are classified as a variety of cloud types by CloudSat+CALIPSO, confirming limitations in passive remote sensing of these types of clouds.