The CERES cloud retrievals formatted into an ISCCP D2like product

The Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) now has over 10 years observed TOA fluxes providing an accurate TOA flux record for climate monitoring and sensitivity studies using climate models. CERES provides the climate community: coincident CERES observed TOA, computed surface fluxes, as well as MODIS cloud retrievals. As part of its suite of products, CERES has packaged its MODIS derived cloud properties in the ISCCP D2 monthly format so it can easily be substituted where-ever ISCCP D2 products are used, such as climate model diagnostics with ISCCP simulators. There will be 4 CERES ISCCP-D2 like products, ISCCP-D2like-MODIS, ISCCP-D2like-geo, ISCCP-D2like-merge, and ISCCP-D2like-flux. The D2like-MODIS products have separated the MODIS cloud retrievals into day and night, which are based on different sets of MODIS channels. The D2like-MODIS also provides the cloud infrared emissivity and particles sizes. To take into account the diurnal cycle between MODIS retrievals, CERES uses 3-hourly 5-satellite geostationary (GEO) clouds to infer the regional diurnal signal, in order to compute the daily mean cloud properties. The merged product bins the Terra and Aqua MODIS clouds into GMT 3-hourly increments. In increments where no MODIS is available, GEO clouds are used. The GEO clouds are first normalized to the MODIS clouds to provide a consistent diurnal dataset. The ISCCP-D2like-flux product combines for the first time CERES measured TOA fluxes along with the associated MODIS cloud properties, which would link radiative flux directly to a specific cloud type. The merge and flux products will be released later this year. This presentation will focus on the normalization of the GEO cloud retrievals with MODIS and comparisons with the traditional ISCCP products.