Validation Needs

EarthCARE Validation Requirements Document

Update Algorithm Developer Needs from ECVT

The table below is copied from Shannon Mason's presentation during the 2nd validation workshop in May 2021:

	Uncertainty	Locations/scenes/regimes	Measurements needed	Products
Macrophysics	Aerosol layer detection & classification	•Multiple aerosol layers •Aerosol layers with strong internal structure •Attributing aerosol plumes at nadir to features in the across-track imagery	•Ground-based (& scanning?) lidars •Collocated in-situ aerosol sampling	A-ALD, AM-ACD, A-TC
	Aerosol/cloud discrimination	•Cloud embedded in aerosol layers	•Ground-based lidars •Collocated in-situ aerosol sampling	A-ALD, AM-ACD, A-TC
	Cloud layer detection and structure	•Multiple cloud layers •Cirrus over liquid cloud •Non-precipitating liquid clouds	•Ground-based (& scanning?) lidars & radiometers	M-CLD, AM-CTH, A-TC, C-TC, AC-TC
	Liquid clouds not fully resolved by radar/lidar synergy	•Physical depth of liquid clouds (i.e. cloud base height) •Mixed-phase layers embedded in ice •Liquid (& liquid-topped mixed-phase) clouds below optically thick ice clouds •Warm liquid clouds within cold rain	•Ground-based ceilometers/lidars •Multiple-frequency radars to constrain W-band attenuation •Microwave radiometers for LWP •Aircraft profiles of LWC	A-TC, C-TC, AC-TC
	CPR surface clutter removal	•Range of surface types	•Ground-based radars	C-TC, C-FMR
Ice cloud & snow	Snow microphysics (e.g. PSDs, microwave scattering, density & fallspeed)	•Stratiform vs convective •Rimed snow	•Bulk precipitation and particle imaging measurements at surface •Profiles of in-situ particle properties in ice clouds	C-CLD, ACM-CAP
	Ice microphysics (e.g. PSDs, ice optics, mass-size rel’n)	•Cloud-tops across range of temperatures, locations & cloud types	•In situ aircraft measurements •Visible & IR radiances	A-ICE, ACM-CAP
	Surface snow rate	•Range of meteorological conditions	•Ground-based radars and in-situ at surface	C-CLD, ACM-CAP
Liquid cloud	How to account for radiatively-important liquid clouds not detected by ATLID	•Deep ice clouds: embedded mixed-phase layers •Layered cloud scenes •Warm liquid clouds within cold rain	•Microwave radiometer for LWP •Profiles of liquid water content •	ACM-CAP
Rain	Relation between rain rate and drop size distribution	•Warm rain (maritime) •Convective/stratiform rain	•Ground-based multiple-frequency radars •Dual-pol weather radars over ocean	C-CLD, ACM-CAP
Rain	Melting layer structure & radar attenuation	•Dependence on snow properties aloft •Continuity of mass flux & size distributions across melting layer	•Ground-based & airborne multiple-frequency radar	C-CLD, ACM-CAP
Aerosol	Large AOT uncertainties over land; sensitivity to aerosol classification	•Range of different land classes (biomes) & ocean •Range of different aerosol classes	•Ground-based, e.g. AERONET(-OC) •Ship-based sun photometers, e.g. MAN •Satellite imagers, e.g. MODIS, VIIRS, 3MI	M-AOT
Radiation	Detection of and/or representation of fluxes over snow-covered surfaces	•Range of snow-covered surfaces	•High-latitude ground stations •	BM-RAD, BMA-FLX

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Validation Needs