Global cloud top height retrieval using SCIAMACHY limb spectra: model studies and first results

Eichmann, Kai-Uwe; Lelli, Luca; von Savigny, Christian; Sembhi, Harjinder; Burrows, John P.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-793-2016

Articles | Volume 9, issue 2

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-793-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Limb observations of the middle atmosphere by space- and airborne...

https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-793-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 9, issue 2

Research article

|

02 Mar 2016

Research article |

| 02 Mar 2016

Global cloud top height retrieval using SCIAMACHY limb spectra: model studies and first results

Kai-Uwe Eichmann, Luca Lelli, Christian von Savigny, Harjinder Sembhi, and John P. Burrows

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Final revised paper (published on 02 Mar 2016)
Supplement to the final revised paper
Preprint (discussion started on 10 Aug 2015)

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment

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- Supplement

RC C2859: 'Review', Anonymous Referee #3, 07 Sep 2015
- AC C4288: 'Reply to reviewers comment', Kai-Uwe Eichmann, 11 Dec 2015
RC C2871: 'Review of Eichmann et al.', Anonymous Referee #2, 07 Sep 2015
- AC C4289: 'Reply to reviewers comments', Kai-Uwe Eichmann, 11 Dec 2015
RC C2898: 'Review Eichmann et al., 2015: Global cloud top height retrieval using SCIAMACHY limb spectra: model studies and first results', Anonymous Referee #4, 10 Sep 2015
- AC C4290: 'Reply to reviewers comments', Kai-Uwe Eichmann, 11 Dec 2015
RC C3039: 'Review of 'Global cloud top height retrieval using SCIAMACHY limb spectra: model studies and first results'', Anonymous Referee #1, 21 Sep 2015
- AC C4291: 'Reply to reviewers comments', Kai-Uwe Eichmann, 11 Dec 2015

Short summary

Height-resolved limb radiance spectra of the satellite instrument SCIAMACHY are used to retrieve cloud top heights with a colour index method. Clouds are detectable from the lower to the uppermost troposphere. These cloud heights help to improve the trace gas retrieval for the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Comparisons with other data sets have shown good agreement. As clouds and aerosols are not distinguishable, lower stratospheric volcanic aerosol clouds are detected in some years.