Cloud types observed by the Himawari-9 satellite with HALO flight path and EarthCARE orbit
Cloud types observed by the Himawari-9 satellite with HALO flight path and EarthCARE orbit
This image shows the classification of cloud types – based on parameters from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) – from the geostationary Himawari-9 satellite over the Southern Ocean on 8 September 2024. The red polygon marks the planned HALO research flight route to the southwest and south, with the aim of investigating cloud conditions over the Southern Ocean. Part of the route runs parallel to two expected overpasses of ESA’s EarthCARE satellite (dashed black line), which is used for satellite validation. Cloud types include stratus, stratocumulus, cumulus, nimbostratus, altostratus, altocumulus, deep convection, cirrostratus and cirrus. These distributions can be used to derive ‘macro-scale processes’, such as the transition from stratocumulus to cumulus and the formation of cirrus clouds in the upper troposphere, offering insights into complex cloud development.
Credit:
Visualisation – from data and graphic elements from JAXA/EORC, ESA/JAXA, ESA/EarthCARE and DLR – created by Ziming Wang (University of Mainz)