Comparison of high-cloud characteristics as estimated by selected spaceborne observations and ground-based lidar datasets

The characterization of high clouds as performed from selected spaceborne observations is assessed in this article by employing a number of worldwide ground-based lidar multiyear datasets as reference. Among the latter, the ground lidar observations conducted at Lannion, Bretagne (48.7°N, 3.5°W), and Palaiseau, near Paris [the Site Instrumental de Recherche par Télédétection Atmosphérique (SIRTA) observatory: 48.7°N, 2.2°E], both in France, are discussed in detail. High-cloud altitude statistics at these two sites were found to be similar. Optical thicknesses disagree, and possible reasons were analyzed. Despite the variety of instruments, observation strategies, and methods of analysis employed by different lidar groups, high-cloud optical thicknesses from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on board the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) were found to be consistent on the latitude band 408-608N. Respective high-cloud altitudes agree within 1 km with respect to those from ground lidars at Lannion and Palaiseau; such a finding remains to be verified under other synoptic regimes. Mean altitudes of high clouds from Lannion and Palaiseau ground lidars were compared with altitudes of thin cirrus from the Television and Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) Path-B 8-yr climatology for a common range of optical thicknesses (0.1-1.4). Over both sites, the annual altitude distribution of thin high clouds from TOVS Path-B is asymmetric, with a peak around 8-9.5 km, whereas the distribution of high clouds retrieved from ground lidars seems symmetric with a peak around 9.5-11.5 km. Additional efforts in standardizing ground lidar observation and processing methods, and in merging high-cloud statistics from complementary measuring platforms, are recommended.