Using CALIOP to estimate cloud-field base height and its uncertainty: the Cloud Base Altitude Spatial Extrapolator (CBASE) algorithm and dataset

Mülmenstädt, Johannes; Sourdeval, Odran; Henderson, David S.; L'Ecuyer, Tristan S.; Unglaub, Claudia; Jungandreas, Leonore; Böhm, Christoph; Russell, Lynn M.; Quaas, Johannes

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-2279-2018

Articles | Volume 10, issue 4

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-2279-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-2279-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 10, issue 4

14 Dec 2018

| 14 Dec 2018

Using CALIOP to estimate cloud-field base height and its uncertainty: the Cloud Base Altitude Spatial Extrapolator (CBASE) algorithm and dataset

Johannes Mülmenstädt, Odran Sourdeval, David S. Henderson, Tristan S. L'Ecuyer, Claudia Unglaub, Leonore Jungandreas, Christoph Böhm, Lynn M. Russell, and Johannes Quaas

Data sets

Using CALIOP to estimate cloud-field base height and its uncertainty: the Cloud Base Altitude Spatial Extrapolator (CBASE) algorithm and dataset J. Mülmenstädt, O. Sourdeval, D. S. Henderson, T. S. L'Ecuyer, C. Unglaub, L. Jungandreas, C. Böhm, L. M. Russell, and J. Quaas https://doi.org/10.1594/WDCC/CBASE

Model code and software

jmuelmen/cbase-essd: Version used for ESSD description paper J. Mülmenstädt https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1560603

Short summary

One of the key pieces of information about a cloud is how high its base is. Unlike cloud top, cloud base is hard to observe from a satellite perspective – the cloud blocks the view. But without using satellites, it is difficult to compile global datasets. Here we describe how we worked around the limitations of a cloud-detecting laser satellite to observe global cloud base heights. This dataset will expand our knowledge of the cloudy atmosphere and its interaction with the planetary surface.