CERES Cloud Property Database from VIRS and MODIS

The NASA Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) is providing simultaneous measurements of the radiation and cloud fields on a global basis to improve the understanding and modeling of the interaction between clouds and radiation at the top of the atmosphere, at the surface, and within the atmosphere. Cloud properties derived for CERES using the ModerateResolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra and Aqua satellites are compared interannually to ensure consistency between the products to ensure the reliability of the retrievals from multiple platforms at different times of day. Comparisons between 5 years of Terra data and 2 years of Aqua data for cloud fraction, height, optical depth, phase, effective particle size, and ice and liquid water paths from the two satellites show excellent consistency. Differences between the Aqua and Terra results are generally due to diurnally dependent changes in the clouds. The results should be extremely valuable for model validation and improvement and for enhancing our understanding of the relationship between clouds and the radiation budget. Uncertainties in the results are also discussed.