Progress Towards MODIS and VIIRS Cloud Height and IR Phase Data Record Continuity

Satellite-derived cloud heights are important parameters used in many real-time applications and have become critical to the study of recent decadal climate changes. The NASA NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) has funded a science team to develop and study the ability to make continuous climate records from MODIS (2000-2020) and VIIRS (2012-2030).  The MODAWG project, led by Dr Steve Platnick of NASA/GSFC, combines elements of the MODIS processing system and that developed by the NOAA Algorithm Working Group (AWG) to achieve this goal.  The AWG Cloud Height Algorithm (ACHA) is an optimal estimation retrieval that simultaneously retrieves cloud macro- and micro-physical parameters and supports most of the IR channel combination provided by current satellite imagers.  This presentation will focus on the status of the cloud height and IR-phase aspects of MODAWG.  The continuity of the cloud heights using MODIS and VIIRS alone will be shown.  In addition, MODAWG can also use data from the hyper-spectral sounder CrIS to provide the IR channels present on MODIS and missing on VIIRS.  The benefits of these new channels towards achieving continuity will be demonstrated.