Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
Content archived on 2024-05-14

Cloud retrieval validation experiment.

Objective



While conventional surface-based measuremeñts have, in some cases, a long historical record, they are horizontally sparse; this is particularly true in the Southern Hemisphere and over the oceans. Upper air measurements of even the basic variables of temperature and humidity are even rarer. The only practical way of monitoring the current climate and its variability is via satellite observations coupled with numerical climate models. However, neither of these two systems are currently well validated in the areas of clouds and precipitation, which are two critical components in the Earth's radiative and water cycle budgets. The CLOREVAL project will provide such validations, on a regional basis, so that we may confidently apply the same satellite and modelling techniques globally.
The primary aims of this proposal are:
a) To verify, and potentially improve, the radiative transfer models used to retrieve various meteorological and oceanographic parameters from current and future microwave sensors, including SSM/I, SSM/T-2, ATSR/M, AMSU-A/B and MIMR, and thence
b) to validate estimates of liquid water path (LWP) derived from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) on the US Defense Meteorological Satellite series and from other satellite-borne microwave instruments. in order to provide the optimum quality global LWP and other products for climate studies and for use within operational weather forecasting under all meteorological conditions.
These objectives will be addressed by obtaining in-situ data, mainly coincident in space and time with the SSM/I swaths, e.g. with airborne cloud sensors and microwave radiometers, during a series of short campaigns dedicated to the SSM/I instrument over sea (e.g. the Northern and Sub-Tropical Atlantic) during 1996-7. A wide variety of cases need to be sampled, including precipitating and non-precipitating clouds.
Following this data gathering phase, the aircraft, satellite and ground-based instrument data will be analysed by the participants using existing techniques. The results of this analysis will address the above objectives, and will be made freely available.

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

Data not available

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE - MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
EU contribution
No data
Address
London Road, Sutton House Room SG/12
RG12 2SZ BRACKNELL
United Kingdom

See on map

Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Participants (4)

My booklet 0 0