XDS: LBTM-MINNIS

The Layered Bispectral Threshold Method (LBTM) uses the 0.65um and 10.8 um channel data from the Visible Infrared Spin Scan Radiometer (VISSR) on board the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). Pre-designated clear-sky visible and infrared thresholds determine whether a pixel is clear or cloudy. Clouds are classified into three height bins (layers): low (0 to 2 km), middle (2 to 6 km), and high (6 km to tropopause). The process retrieves cloud optical properties by comparison with parameterized radiative transfer model calculations. It requires: atmospheric profiles from Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models or in situ observations; narrowband to broadband flux conversion functions; surface characterization from Cloud and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) water percent map.

Besides top of atmosphere (TOA) shortwave broadband albedo and longwave broadband flux, key derived quantities are cloud properties like optical depth, cloud fraction, effective cloud particle radius, etc.

SGP:
GOES7 1994-04-05/1994-11-15
GOES8 1995-07-15/2003-03-31
GOES12 2003-04-01/2003-08-31

TWP:
GMS5 1998-01-03/2003-05-21

SGP
32N-42N, 91W-105W
goes#minnisX1.c1: 28×20 0.5 deg grid cells around Central Facility
goes#minnis-acfX1.c1: 3×3 0.3 deg grid cells around Central Facility

TWP
Darwin: 5S-17S, 125E-136E
Manus: 1.5S-2.5S, 147E-148E
Nauru: 0-1S, 166.5E-167.5E
Entire TWP Domain: 10N-20S,120E-180
lbtm3minnisX1.c1: 60×30 1 deg grid cells over TWP

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NASA/Langley Cloud and Radiation Research (Minnis Group)