Cloud base height Measurements Made by Earth Observation Satellites

CEOS EO HANDBOOK – MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS

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Cloud base height

Measurement Definition*: Height of the bottom surface of the cloud - Physical unit: [ km ] - Accuracy unit: [ km ].

Instrument	Status/ Accuracy	Instrument Description	Measurement Technology	Timeline
CALIOP Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization	Operational	Two-wavelength, polarisation lidar capable of providing aerosol and cloud profiles and properties.	n/a
CPR (CloudSat) Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR)	Operational +/-500 m	Primary goal to provide data needed to evaluate and improve the way clouds are represented in global climate models. Measures vertical profile of clouds.	Cloud and precipitation radar
OLCI Ocean and Land Colour Imager	Operational	Marine and land services.	n/a
OLS Operational Linescan System	Operational	Day and night cloud cover imagery.	n/a
VIIRS Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite	Operational	Global observations of land, ocean, and atmosphere parameters: cloud/weather imagery, sea-surface temperature, ocean colour, land surface vegetation indices.	n/a
CPR (EarthCARE) Cloud Profiling Radar (EarthCARE)	Being developed	Measurement of cloud properties, light precipitation, vertical motion.	Cloud and precipitation radar
ATLID ATmospheric LIDar	Approved	Derivation of cloud and aerosol properties - Measurement of molecular and particle backscatter in Rayleigh, co-polar and cross-polar Mie channels.	n/a

* Description adapted from WMO.