Cloud phases observed by Himawari-9 with HALO flight path and EarthCARE orbit
Cloud phases observed by Himawari-9 with HALO flight path and EarthCARE orbit
This image shows cloud phase measurements from the geostationary satellite Himawari-9 over the Southern Ocean on 8 September 2024 – the launch date of the HALO-South campaign in New Zealand last year. The red polygon outlines the planned HALO research flight route around New Zealand, part of which runs parallel to two expected overpasses of the EarthCARE satellite (dashed black line) for satellite validation. The cloud phases shown are ice, mixed-phase, supercooled water and water clouds, all of which significantly influence cloud feedback over the Southern Ocean. Microphysical processes play a particularly important role in mixed-phase clouds, strongly influencing the interactions between aerosols and clouds as well as cloud radiation.
Credit:
Visualisation – based on data and graphic elements from JAXA/EORC, ESA/JAXA, ESA/EarthCARE and DLR – created by Ziming Wang (University of Mainz)