Identification

Title

A method for retrieving clouds with satellite infrared radiancesusing the particle filter

Abstract

Ensemble-based techniques have been widely utilized in estimating uncertainties in various problems of interest in geophysical applications. A new cloud retrieval method is proposed based on the particle filter (PF) by using ensembles of cloud information in the framework of Grid-point Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system. The PF cloud retrieval method is compared with the Multivariate Minimum Residual (MMR) method that was previously established and verified. Cloud retrieval experiments involving a variety of cloudy types are conducted with the PF and MMR methods with measurements of infrared radiances on multi-sensors onboard both geostationary and polar satellites, respectively. It is found that the retrieved cloud masks with both methods are consistent with other independent cloud products. MMR is prone to producing ambiguous small-fraction clouds, while PF detects clearer cloud signals, yielding closer heights of cloud top and cloud base to other references. More collections of small-fraction particles are able to effectively estimate the semi-transparent high clouds. It is found that radiances with high spectral resolutions contribute to quantitative cloud top and cloud base retrievals. In addition, a different way of resolving the filtering problem over each model grid is tested to better aggregate the weights with all available sensors considered, which is proven to be less constrained by the ordering of sensors. Compared to the MMR method, the PF method is overall more computationally efficient, and the cost of the model grid-based PF method scales more directly with the number of computing nodes.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d70v8fjb

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-11-02T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact