Investigation of marine boundary layer cloud properties using MODIS Level-3 and AMSR-E Ocean Products

The role of clouds in climate change represents a major source of uncertainty in climate modeling. In order to better understand this uncertainty, satellite observations can be used to characterize cloud properties and their relationships. This study is a survey of warm (cloud-top temperatures > 273K) boundary layer clouds over the global oceans using MODIS Level-3 and AMSR-E Ocean Products from the AQUA satellite. Cloud radiative, microphysical, and macrophysical properties are investigated and correlated with surface parameters, such as sea-surface temperature. Initial analysis indicates a clear correlation between AMSR-E liquid water path and MODIS effective radius, which is positive for almost all locations. A small number of regions of negative correlations exist and work is underway to explain this seemingly unphysical result.