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Different optical properties of high cloud in GMS and MODIS observations
Author(s) -
Choi YongSang,
Ho ChangHoi,
Sui ChungHsiung
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2005gl024616
Subject(s) - moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer , environmental science , geostationary orbit , satellite , cloud top , atmospheric radiative transfer codes , spectroradiometer , remote sensing , brightness temperature , geostationary operational environmental satellite , atmospheric sciences , radiative transfer , cloud height , brightness , meteorology , atmosphere (unit) , climatology , cloud cover , cloud computing , geology , reflectivity , physics , operating system , quantum mechanics , astronomy , computer science , optics
The optical properties of high cloud are compared between two satellite retrievals taken from the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite‐5 (GMS) and the Moderate‐resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in the tropical western Pacific (TWP) for the years 1998–2001. The MODIS high‐cloud amount determined by 1.38‐μm reflectances (>1.1%) is approximately twice that of GMS determined by 11‐μm brightness temperatures (<260 K). The optical depths associated with the retrieved high clouds are calculated using a radiative transfer model. The minimum detectable value of optical depths by the MODIS and GMS measurements is around 0.1 and 2.0, respectively. Variations of MODIS and GMS high clouds with respect to the mean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the TWP are examined next. There exist large discrepancies in the change rates in high clouds with increasing SST between GMS and MODIS in the available data for the years 2000 and 2001.