POLDER 2 - RADIATION BUDGET, WATER VAPOR AND CLOUDS

ERB, WV AND CLOUDS
POLDER 2 algorithms
The POLDER instrument presents original features since it is not only multispectral but also multidirectional and multipolarization. Algorithms dedicated to "Earth Radiation Budget, Water Vapor, and Clouds" (hereafter noted "ERB, WV & Clouds") were developed, taking into account these capabilities. More particularly,



The first algorithms of the "ERB, WV & Clouds" processing line were applied to the eight months of ADEOS 1 - POLDER data. These algorithms are described in Buriez et al. (1997). First results are presented in Parol et al. (1999). Further publications can be found in the bibliography. An improved version of the algorithms will be applied to ADEOS 2 - POLDER data. This second version has already been applied to some ADEOS 1-POLDER data. The major improvements are :







The level 2 (orbital swath) products contain about thirty non-directional parameters and ten directional parameters (for each of the 14 viewing directions) (see list of level 2 parameters). The level 3 (monthly) products contain about forty parameters (see list of level 3 parameters).
These "ERB, WV & clouds" products are presented in the following sections:




A more complete description can be downloaded from the "ERB, WV & clouds" algorithm documents for POLDER-2.
Development of the algorithms results from a joint effort of Laboratoire d’Optique Atmosphérique (LOA), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE) and Laboratoire de Météorologie dynamique (LMD). It has been supported by CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) and Région Nord-Pas de Calais.